Rising Sun
by NikkiB1973
Summary: Bella and her little brother are on the run, they have run out of money, food and water. Will the kindness of a stranger show them the path to redemption? AU story!
1. Chapter 1

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 **Prologue**

Bella bit down on her bottom lip as she stared into her empty purse. _Nothing,_ the money was gone, all of it. She had been striving to stay strong for so long, but this, this defeated her. Tears welled in her eyes and she immediately blinked pushing them away. She couldn't cry here, not when he was relying on her to keep him safe. Bella swallowed thickly as she felt a tug on the sleeve of her jacket. "I'm hungry." She turned her attention to the small boy standing next to her. His large brown eyes were pleading as he gazed up at her. Now the tears fell. She saw him become anxious and she wiped them furiously away before bending down to his level and hugging him tightly.

"I know you're hungry Petey." She whispered in his ear. "We'll get some food soon, I promise." Even as she said the words she wondered how she was going to accomplish this feat. The only option left open to her was to shoplift, which was going to be difficult with a four year old along for the ride. She felt his thin arms wind around her neck and she pulled him closer, picking him up easily in her arms. He was so lightweight, too thin for a child his age, but then so was she.

"I'm hungry now." Petey whined as his own tears began to fall. His stomach gurgled, increasing Bella's guilt that she had nothing to give him. "Where's mommy?" He sobbed in a small voice as his head fell onto her shoulder. "I wan'mommy, Bells. I wan' mommy."

Bella shrank away from the other people on the side walk as they began to stare at them curiously as Petey's wails got louder and louder, beginning to attract unwanted attention. That was the last thing they needed. She backed into the first shop she saw, not taking any notice of what was inside. She was just desperate to get away from the curious glances. It was the worst place she could have chosen. She heard Petey gasp as his little hand reached out and pointed eagerly at a pile of sweetcakes which were just within arm's reach. He nabbed one and immediately bit into it. "No, Petey, no." Bella's face fell, it was too late he had taken a huge chunk out of it. What was she supposed to do now? She had no money to pay for it. She glanced around to find she had dived into a baker's of all places. Already one of the staff, perhaps the owner, was approaching. He looked none too pleased to find a couple of kids dressed almost like vagrants grabbing his food. "Five dollars." He barked at Bella, his hand out and his face showing disgust as he looked her up and down.

Bella didn't know what to do, she tried to find an avenue of escape but when she turned around she found some other people were standing behind her as they waited to be served. All eyes were on her, some, like the man who worked there, showed disgust at her dirty clothes and ratty hair, while others threw her concerned glances, but ultimately they all stood silently waiting for her to either pay up or the police to be called. Petey was unaware of his audience. He had finished the cake and was reaching for another. "Can I have Cola too, Bells?" He asked as he saw some stacked along the display cabinet. He wriggled in her arms as he tried to get down so he could grab one.

"No, Petey, stay still." Bella begged him. She cringed as the man who had confronted them over the cake demanded the money again. "I'm sorry, I…I haven't…could you…I'll work the cost off…."

"I am sick of kids like you coming in here thinking you can take what you want." The man scowled as he reached for his phone. "Let's see you give your sob story to the cops. Perhaps you might even have a wash…"

"Please don't call the cops I beg you?" Bella pleaded. It was no use he wouldn't be swayed. She turned to run but he had signalled the other members of staff to lock the door so she couldn't escape. The other customers were still staring, Bella shrank back, her anxiety infected Petey and he began to cry. They were done for now, doomed because of a damn cake! Bella felt defeat wash over her. She had tried so hard, they had been on the run for weeks, had spent the last week wandering the streets as they made their way to Forks, but now it was ruined, and they were so close too. Why did they have to run out of money now?

"I'll pay for the cake." A husky voice behind her startled Bella, she turned around to see a tall, handsome, Native American standing behind her. He smiled at her encouragingly before his expression turned serious as he glared at the man who was creating such a fuss. "Call off the cops." He continued as he threw the money on the counter. "Perhaps you should learn to show a little compassion? You can open the damn doors now."

"Do-gooder." The man sneered as he signalled another member of staff to open the doors. "As for you, stay out of here." He said to Bella. She felt mortified as she put her head down and fled the shop, trying to soothe Petey's fears as she did so.

* * *

It had started to rain. Bella felt more defeated than ever. She pulled up the hood on Petey's coat wishing she had one of her own. Her jacket was flimsy and hardly made for this kind of weather. She had little choice about what to wear when she'd left home, only having time to pack a few things for Petey and grab what little money she had managed to salvage. Her hair became stuck to her head as she once again stood on the side walk and tried to think about her next move. They needed shelter but they also needed food, and water. Petey gripped her tightly as she looked left and right, she was so absorbed trying to work out what to do next that she didn't realise the Native American man had followed them outside and was trying to get her attention. He touched her shoulder and she nearly let out a yell.

"Hey, sorry didn't mean to startle you." He smiled sheepishly at her.

Bella's heart pounded loudly in her chest as she stared up at him. He was so tall, well over six feet. He had put his hands in his pockets and was obviously waiting for her to speak. "Um…thanks for paying for the cake." She said warily wondering what he wanted. She tried to work out how old he was, he appeared about maybe twenty or so, but she couldn't be certain, he may look older because of his height and build.

"Don't worry about it." His smile widened. "That man was an ass."

"Yeah." Bella returned his smile tentatively. Petey was getting restless again but she gripped him tightly against her body in case she needed to make a run for it. This guy may appear friendly but you never knew.

"I'm Jacob." He held out his hand for her to shake.

Bella frowned before doing so carefully and then dropping his hand quickly. "Um…I have to go." She ducked her head and turned to leave.

"Wait." Jacob stopped her in her tracks again. She sighed and looked at him, shrugging. "I can see you're hungry and this weather is going to get worse." He put his hands up defensively when she began to protest. "You have nothing to worry about really. I just want to help and this little one looks like he could do with a good meal. There's a fast food joint over there, let me shout you both a burger or something."

"Why would you do that?" Bella said with distrust clear in her tone and expression. Her stomach had other ideas, at the prospect of food it began to ache abominably. She was thirsty too. Could she really turn down a free meal? It was going to be in a public place with lots of others around, she had to risk it. She had to think of Petey.

"Honestly, I know what it's like when you've not got much, that's all." Jacob reached out and ruffled Petey's spikey brown hair as he looked up at the tall man with interest.

"Alright, thank you." Bella replied. If he wanted to play the Good Samaritan let him! Perhaps while he was preoccupied she could steal his wallet, he must have one in his jacket. He wouldn't miss it, and she really needed the cash. He might even have enough for a bus ride close to Forks, she didn't want to have to hitch again, she and Petey'd had two close calls already. She adjusted her little brother in her arms and followed after Jacob's tall figure as he led the way across the road toward the fast food restaurant.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part One**

Jacob watched in amusement as Petey stuffed the burger in his mouth, if he wasn't careful he would choke. "Hey kid, slow down." His mirth disappeared when he saw the little boy tense up as if he was about to receive a hard blow or something. He stopped eating immediately and pushed his burger away. Jacob was stunned; he looked across at Bella who was trying to soothe her brother's frazzled nerves. He didn't understand, what had he said? "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you." Jacob reached across and pushed the burger back toward Petey who stared at him warily, his eyes flicking to his sister as if checking that it was okay to eat. Jacob saw Bella smile and nod her head, this seemed to make the little boy feel better as he tentatively took another bite of the burger. Jacob wondered what the story was behind these two; it couldn't be good judging by the little boy's overreaction. It had taken Jacob a while to coax their first names out of them when they had first sat down in the fast food restaurant. Bella especially was cagey and Petey seemed to take his cues from her.

"Thanks for this." Bella broke through his thoughts as she ate her fries slowly as if savouring them. "But you can go now. We'll be fine."

So she was dismissing him huh? Jacob knew she had taken his wallet. He had seen her slip it out of his jacket pocket when he had left to pay for the food. He had taken some money with him to the counter and left his wallet in his jacket. Out of the corner of his eye he had watched her discreetly as she took it and put it in the pocket of her coat. He wasn't angry just sad that she felt she had to resort to this. If she'd of asked he would have helped her out, but then again why should she even trust him. Life on the streets had taught her to be very choosy about whom to let in. "It might be a bit difficult." He said locking eyes with her.

Bella's face flushed as she bit down hard on her lip. He knew, he damn well knew what she had done, the look on his face said it all. He was mocking her! Her hand shook as she quickly took the wallet out of her pocket and passed it to him wordlessly. She didn't want to alarm Petey who was finally starting to relax as he ate his burger. "No harm no foul." Bella said in a low voice. "You have your money back. I'm sorry I took it. You don't need to call the cops."

Jacob just shrugged as he put his wallet back in his pocket. "We're cool." He said. "Seconds?" He pointed at the empty plates.

"More?" Petey's eyes were alight with hope as he looked at Jacob as if he was some kind of magician who could produce food out of thin air.

"If you like." Jacob smiled at him as he pushed the children's menu toward him. "Pick anything you like."

"Anything?" Petey just about broke Jacob's heart. He could see the glimmer of tears in Bella's eyes although he discreetly made it appear as if he hadn't seen. He wondered just how long she had been trying to stay strong for her brother. Petey was pointing at the picture of a huge glass of ice cream covered in chocolate sprinkles. "Can I have that?"

"Sure." Jacob smiled again as he turned his attention to Bella. "You?"

"Why are you doing this?" She asked miserably. "It makes things worse."

Jacob frowned. "How so?"

"Because I can't give this to him again, because you doing this makes me feel like a damn failure." Bella averted her face from Jacob's scrutinising stare as she tried to hold back the tears. Why was she letting this complete stranger get under her skin? Why wouldn't he just go and leave them alone? She jumped when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. "Don't touch me." She hissed.

Jacob removed his hand quickly. This girl was definitely very troubled as was the little boy. He began to suspect that there may have been violence in the home of some sort, judging by her fierce reaction to everything. Whatever had happened to make her and her brother leave home must have been bad for them to rather to traipse along the cold streets. Jacob could clearly see that she didn't trust him an inch, and probably thought he must have some sinister motive for wanting to help but he couldn't in good conscience leave the girl and her brother stranded in Port Angeles like this. He felt responsible for their welfare now. A normal person would call the cops or bring in the social services, but the girl seemed afraid of this, and anyway he wasn't a normal person. "Listen to me." Jacob stated bluntly. "I know you have no reason to trust me but I want to help. I can't leave you like this without any shelter, food or water. Are you heading somewhere specific? If so perhaps I can drive you there or something? Do you have family in the area? You can't go around like this any longer; I can tell that you understand that."

"I have managed so far. Petey and I will be fine." Bella whispered fiercely so Petey couldn't hear.

Jacob leaned closer to her, his dark eyes showing empathy as he gazed at her stricken face. "If you are being forced to steal money then you are far from fine. Think of the kid and put your pride to one side and accept my help."

"Can I have the ice cream now?" Petey asked in a small voice. He may not know what they were talking about but he was good at sensing tension. "Bells?" He continued anxiously.

"It's alright, Petey." Bella forced a smile on her face and stroked his spikey hair down; it would not stay flat as it sprang right up again.

"I'll get it for you, buddy." Jacob glanced at Bella meaningfully before he went to the counter to order the ice cream.

Bella watched him go before she sprang into action. "Come on, Petey. We have to go." She zipped up his jacket and took his small hand in hers. Her brother knew that tone, they had to run again. He looked wistfully toward Jacob before he allowed his sister to pick him up and hurry out of the restaurant into the driving rain.

* * *

There were so many people. Bella felt the driving rain hit her skin like bullets as it made everything hard to see. She weaved her way through the crowds and ducked away from the huge umbrella's some of them were carrying as they hurried along in their own little worlds. Everyone seemed to know where they were going apart from her. Bella felt the thin material of her jacket begin to dampen as it stuck to her body making her shiver. She was so cold. She stared around, trying to find somewhere to shelter for a while, but she wasn't able to stand still long enough. People cursed as she got into their path, she held Petey tight to her body as she tried to find a gap in the throng of people. She felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest as she bumped into one person than another. She hadn't felt this frightened since leaving home. Bella knew she was sinking into despair, this incessant rain was getting her down and the unfamiliar town with the unfamiliar people panicked her. She hated being in crowds, loathed it in fact. She felt hemmed in and out of control.

"Bells, I scared." Petey's voice sounded as panicked as she felt and it set her tears off, only impeding her sight further as she tried to find her way forward. "I wan' mommy." He cried out. "Where's mommy?"

"With the angels, Petey. I told you." Bella said frantically as she bumped into yet another person who cursed her clumsiness. Her heart was pounding so violently in her chest that she was sure that she was going to pass out. Her anxiety kicked up a notch and she spun round and round trying to find somewhere peaceful so she could think. She needed to think….

Then suddenly he was there. She felt his warm hand on the small of her back as he steered her out of the crowds and down a side street. Bella was too tired in that moment to do anything but co-operate. Just getting out of the wind and the rain allowed her mind to refocus, she leaned against the wall and held Petey tighter as she stared miserably up at Jacob who was looking at her in concern. "Forks…" She finally choked out. "Do you know it?"

* * *

Bella glanced in the back of the car and checked on her brother. Petey had fallen asleep within moments of getting in the car. His face even in repose looked anxious; she knew that the little boy had not known one moment of peace since he had been born. She swallowed thickly as she faced forward again and stared out at the road ahead. They were already on the outskirts of Port Angeles already. The sky was dark now as the storm rolled in; threatening clouds hovered above as the rain bounced off the hood of the vehicle. "How long will it take to get there?" She asked Jacob, breaking the tense silence.

"A couple of hours, you should sleep too." Jacob glanced at her briefly before turning his attention to the road again.

Bella bit down on her bottom lip again drawing blood. He was right she should rest, she was certainly tired enough, but she really should remain alert, it was important….she was asleep before the thought left her mind.

Jacob occasionally looked her way as he drove. Like her brother Bella seemed tense and anxious even when she was sleeping. He saw her eyes move under her closed lids and knew she was dreaming. By the sad look on her face it wasn't a good one. She was the palest girl he had ever seen, her skin was almost translucent. Her dark hair and eyes only accentuated her fragile beauty and he almost felt like a voyeur watching her as she slept. He sighed heavily as he changed gear and turned his full attention on the road ahead. He had to be extra careful as the roads were treacherous when the weather was like this. He might be indestructible but they weren't.

* * *

Bella jerked awake violently when she felt someone touch her shoulder. "It's just me, it's just Jacob. We're in Forks now. Where is it you want to go?"

"I…I…um….just drop us off in the main town. That's will do." Bella mumbled as she wiped her face with her hands. She shouldn't have fallen asleep. She was a stupid fool. She turned back to look at Petey, he was still fast asleep, she hated to disturb him but they needed to be on their way.

"I'm not leaving you in the middle of Forks. Who are you looking for? Do you have an address?" Jacob persisted.

Bella locked eyes with him for a moment before she gave in and confessed. "I don't know the address. I haven't been here since I was five. All I have is a name." She tore her eyes away from his and stared at her hands feeling utterly desolate.

"It's okay, Bella. Just tell me the name, I might know the person. I live on the reservation not far from here, and I'm familiar with a lot of people around this town. My dad is best buds with the police chief." Jacob grinned at her, hoping to ease her distress but his words only seemed to increase it. "What is it?" He asked when he saw her brown eyes widen.

"That's who I'm looking for." Bella said incredulously. "My real father is the Chief of Police in Forks, Charles Swan."

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thanks for the kind reviews, Nikki. In this story Jacob is sixteen, Bella seventeen and Petey is five! :)**_

 **Part Two**

Jacob couldn't believe it when Bella confessed that she was Charlie Swan's long lost daughter. He knew of her, had in fact met her himself when he was very young, she must be seventeen now, a whole year older than himself, but because she was so thin and fragile looking she seemed much younger. It took him a moment to gather himself together, he could see her brown eyes studying him warily and she appeared ready to bolt. "Charlie, huh?" He finally spoke. "Yeah, he's a good guy; I've known him my whole life. Like I said he's my dad's best friend." He saw Bella frown and wondered what he had said wrong. "Are you okay?"

"You've known him your whole life, have you?" Bella said bitterly, her face was a mask of pain as she turned away from him. "I haven't known him at all. He abandoned me when I was barely five years old."

Jacob frowned. He reached out to take her hand but then stopped himself; he had nearly forgotten she didn't like being touched. He sat up straighter in his seat and pondered what to say next. He didn't want to upset her further but she seemed to be under a misapprehension about Charlie. "Bella, really Charlie was beside himself when your mother left him and disappeared with you. He has been searching for you ever since…"

Bella crossed her arms and flashed him a look of utter disbelief. "I understand you think you know him, but believe me he knew where I was, he was the one who wanted nothing to do with me."

"And who told you that? Your mother?" Jacob asked gently.

Bella scowled at him. "You don't know anything. You have no idea what my life has been like…."

"Hey, I'm sorry. You're right." Jacob apologised quickly. She was right; he had no comprehension of what she must have been through or what her mother may have told her. From what Jacob knew, Renee Swan had been a flighty woman, very selfish in her wants and needs. She had an affair with a local man just after she married Charlie and became pregnant. The gossip was rife that the young girl born to the family may not be Charlie Swan's at all, but Charlie had been so proud of his new family he had ignored the naysayers and tried to make it work with a woman who should never have been a mother. Renee wanted excitement, and a life far from the sleepy town of Forks. The marriage had disintegrated quickly and soon Renee took off, taking little Bella with her. Charlie had no idea at first where they had gone, but Renee soon ran out of money and contacted him begging for financial assistance. Charlie had been incensed but caved in to her demands as he wanted to keep close contact with his little girl. The divorce came through and a custody agreement was arranged, but within months of Bella turning five Renee met another man and disappeared, it seemed without trace, even Charlie with all his contacts at the police department could not track her down. He was devastated, and as the years passed with no leads and no sign he had become a virtual recluse when not working, he only socialised with his close childhood friend's, Billy Black and Harry Clearwater, as for marrying again he had never looked at another woman since Renee. His sole purpose in life was work and waiting endlessly for some miracle which would lead him to his daughter.

"Could you please just take me to his house?" Bella asked interrupting Jacob's musings.

"Okay." Jacob sighed as he reversed and headed toward the Swan house. He knew Charlie wasn't at home as soon as he parked up outside. The cruiser was missing which meant he was at work or more likely out on a call. Bella sat back and stared at the house. She tried to picture ever living in it, but came up blank. Her memories of Charlie and the house were fuzzy at best, and she wasn't sure she hadn't made half of them up. When she was very young and scared she used to imagine her father turning up unexpectedly at whatever dive she was currently living in with her mother and rescuing her, but as the years passed this silly dream had been crushed from her. The house was two storey's tall. It was painted white, the front garden was a mass of weeds, it seemed Charlie Swan was not a gardener. However the rest of the place seemed tidy. She wondered why he had never moved, her mother had been very light on details when she tried to ask about her real dad. "Charlie's not in, the cars not here." Jacob continued. "I have an idea, we can either wait here until he gets home, which could be a very long wait if he's out on a call, or I could take you back to my house and you could wash up and rest while my dad contacts him and you could meet up with him at my house."

Bella bit down on her bottom lip again making it bleed for a second time. She studied Jacob suspiciously, wondering what the hell his motivation could be for helping. What did he want from her? Bella knew from experience no one ever did anything out of the goodness of their heart, there was always payback waiting to bite you on the ass if you so much as let your guard down. "Why would you do that?" She muttered ungraciously.

"Because I want to." Jacob made sure to look her right in the eyes. He didn't blame her for being wary but it was tiring trying to gain her trust. "I know you don't have any reason to trust me, Bella, but I am in earnest here. Think of Petey, he's tired, hungry and needs a good wash." He saw Bella frown but he ploughed on. "So do you. Wouldn't it be better to meet Charlie on neutral ground and be refreshed when you do so, huh?" He smiled at her persuasively and was rewarded when she reluctantly caved in. "Good. My house is only a fifteen minute drive from here, and my dad will be there, so you can relax, okay." He switched on the engine and pulled back onto the road.

* * *

Bella had never seen so much open space. She stared out of the window at the lush fields and the forest which overhung one side of the road. It was still raining but the air had a freshness here which was missing from the towns and cities she was used to. She breathed it in and allowed herself to relax a little more. She discreetly studied Jacob's profile as he drove, she still wasn't certain how old he was, but if he had known her father his whole life he must have known her too, they must have met perhaps when she was very little. She tried to picture him as a young boy but couldn't do it. He was so tall and muscular, he must work out daily to achieve the muscle mass he was sporting. All too soon they left the main road and pulled onto a dirt track. Bella stiffened again as she kept a look out, worried that she had made a fatal error and he was taking her somewhere far off the beaten track, but a few moments later a small redwood house came into view. It was all on one level with a wraparound porch. Off to one side was some type of garage. In front of the house were a couple of old cars, wrecks by the state of them. Jacob caught her looking and laughed. "I'm a mechanic in my spare time, I'm doing them up to sell them on."

"Oh, cool." Bella mumbled as he parked up and switched off the engine.

"Welcome to my humble abode." He joked as he climbed out of the car.

Bella hurriedly followed him, ready to wake Petey up and carry him into the house but Jacob beat her to it. He easily lifted the thin boy out of the backseat without even waking him and led the way inside. Bella kept close by, she didn't like being too far from Petey and felt irked that Jacob had taken charge and picked him up without her consent. As soon as they were in the hall an older man in a wheelchair appeared. His hair was long with a few grey streaks and tied into a neat ponytail at the back of his neck. By his looks Bella could instantly tell that this must be Jacob's father, he had the same eyes and when he smiled it was the mirror of his son's. "Hello." He greeted them curiously as he looked meaningfully at his son. "Who do we have here?"

Before Jacob could answer Bella stepped into the light allowing the older man to get a closer look at her, he gasped as his eyes widened as if seeing a ghost. "I know you, don't I? I can't believe it…Bella…little Bella?" He made a gesture with his hands indicating a small child. Bella was stunned, he recognised her? She didn't know why but the fact that someone knew who she was, that they actually recalled her with seeming clarity even after not having seen her since she was small touched a nerve. She burst into tears, effectively waking Petey up who stared around blearily at the strangeness of it all.

* * *

The warm water felt soothing as it washed away the dirt from her skin. Bella couldn't remember the last time she'd been able to shower. She had to scrub her skin hard in some places to get rid of the dirt. When she had first seen herself in the bathroom mirror she had been shocked at the state of her hair and skin. Her huge eyes looked haunted and the blades of her cheekbones stuck out in stark relief in her thin face. She hadn't been able to tolerate her reflection for long; instead she had hurriedly gotten in the shower to wash herself down instead. When she came out she found some clothes had been left just within the door. They were a bit too large on her but they were girl's clothes and clean. Bella hastily dressed in the leggings, rolling them up to fit her better and tugged the shirt over her head. She rolled the sleeves up and then used a comb to try and detangle her hair. It took an age but eventually the strands hung smoothly around her face. She felt more human now she was clean. She heard laughter coming from the front room and frowned. That was Petey, he rarely laughed and it was so odd to hear.

Bella ran out of the bathroom and into the front room. She found her little brother perched on a chair opposite Jacob's father Billy, they were playing snap and Petey was celebrating that he had won again. He had already been bathed and was dressed in a pair of Jacob's old shorts and a star wars t-shirt. Billy had kept his children's clothes in storage and had sent Jacob to dig some out for their guests as he kindly referred to Bella and Petey. Jacob was in the kitchen making up some sandwiches and loading up a plate full of snacks for Petey. Bella felt tears prick at her eyes again as she turned her attention back to Petey. He was smiling, actually smiling; the look of fear and anxiety was temporarily gone from his eyes as he played with Billy. Bella had never seen her brother so relaxed around an older man before. Usually he was terrified and it was heartening to watch as he yelled _'snap'_ and giggled when Billy pulled a face at being beaten again.

"Your brother is a card shark." Billy smiled and ruffled Petey's spikey hair. "I am glad we're not playing for money I would be broke by now."

"What's a card shark?" Petey asked with interest.

"Someone who is very clever." Billy announced as he put the cards away. Jacob had come back into the room with the piled up plates. "Tuck in there's plenty." Billy gestured for Bella to sit down and relax with her brother, who had already picked up two halves of a sandwich and was eating them simultaneously. "Just like you Jake, huh?" Billy continued in amusement as he watched Petey eat.

"Sure is." Jacob grinned as he passed a plate to Bella.

"Thank you." She whispered as she smiled at him shyly. Jacob seemed captivated and it took him a second to stop staring. She had smiled, _wow;_ it lit up her whole face. Now that was progress. They all ate in companionable silence until all the food was finished.

"Can we play cards again, Billy?" Petey begged.

Billy nodded. "Of course, but you must allow me to win sometimes, does the old ego good you know."

Petey took him seriously. "Yes." He agreed as Billy chuckled and dealt the cards.

While they were preoccupied Jacob took Bella to one side. She swallowed thickly and stared up at him, waiting for him to speak. "My dad contacted yours. Charlie is on his way here right now. He's ecstatic that you're here, Bella. He's…"

Bella's expression closed down immediately. "Thank you." She stated formerly.

"Bella he really…."

"Please, don't." Bella didn't want to hear what a nice, kind man Charles Swan was. She only knew what she had been told, and the picture that had been painted for her was about a man who was far from nice, a cold man who had willingly deserted his wife and daughter, left them to fend for themselves on the breadline by any means possible. Bella knew she must sound ungrateful; they had been very kind and shown her and Petey wonderful hospitality. They had restored her faith in human nature a little but now she had to stand alone and face the man she hadn't seen since she was five years old. The man who she was relying on to pay her back for ignoring her plight all these years. He owed her, and she wanted, no needed him to step up and give her what was hers. Before she had much more time to steel herself she heard a car pull up outside. She saw Billy and Jacob exchange a meaningful glance before there was a frantic knock on the door. Charlie Swan had arrived.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki. Sorry everyone I told you Petey was five but in fact he is only four, and Bella is nearly eighteen! Sorry for the mistake!**_

 **Part Three**

Bella stiffened when Jacob answered the door and finally let the man who had sired her enter the house. Her hands curled into fists as she tried to keep her anger under control. She didn't want Petey to see her losing it. He was so attuned to her moods that she could already see the wary look coming back into his eyes. She very much wanted her brother out of the room while she spoke to Chief Swan, she couldn't refer to him as her father, as in her mind and heart he was a total stranger. As if sensing her distress Billy calmly lifted Petey up onto his lap and offered to show him his woodwork collection. "I've made all sorts of things, little animals, cars…." Billy's soothing voice seemed to calm Petey down and Bella threw the older man a grateful look. Why couldn't she have him as a father? Jacob was lucky. Billy quickly spun his chair around and left the room, still talking to Petey to keep his attention away from the drama about to unfold in the front room.

"Bells?" Bella flinched as she saw a tall man enter the house, she studied him carefully, trying to remember him from her youth, but once again all she saw were fuzzy images of a clean shaven man, this individual had a moustache. His brown hair was peppered with grey and his dark brown eyes were full of hope as he gazed at her. "It is you, kiddo. It's really you." Moisture pooled in his eyes as he stepped forward as if to embrace her.

Bella retreated from him at once. "Don't touch me." She snapped. She saw him shake a little as if she had shot him in the heart with her cold rebuttal, but Bella refused to feel guilty. She hadn't come for some kind of family reunion she had come for what was owed to her.

"I'm sorry." Charlie backed off and quickly sat down on one of the chairs as he tried to appear non-threatening. He saw Bella study him warily before her posture relaxed a little. Charlie was secretly distraught by his daughter's reaction. Bella was displaying all the signs of an abuse victim. He had seen a few over the years and they all tended to act the same way. It sickened him to think what she might have suffered. He saw Jacob hurrying over to comfort Bella but he shook his head meaningfully at him, Bella would not thank Jake for his support. She was feeling aggrieved, not just at him but the world. "Please Bells; I'm here to talk…."

"Don't you call me that? Only Petey calls me by that name." Bella bit down on her bottom lip and it bled as the scab covering the last wound opened up again. She was wound up tight and any small thing could set her off. She felt like a hunted animal and the rage that she usually managed to keep contained was threatening to spill over and erupt. Her eyes swivelled to Jacob who had stopped when her father looked at him. She saw that he seemed to be having trouble staying put. It seemed that Jacob Black had quite the hero complex.

"I apologise again, Bella." Charlie spoke more formally this time. "Please won't you take a seat and we'll talk."

Jacob quickly pulled up a chair and passed it to her wordlessly. He was just glad to be able to do this small thing for her if nothing else. He got a chair for himself and sat nearby, not knowing what else to do as he watched father and daughter face off against each other.

"I didn't come all this way for some kind of family reunion, Chief Swan." Bella stated baldly. "I came here for what you owe me."

Jacob frowned at her choice of words and was about to say something when Charlie put up his hand and shot him another warning look. It appeared he was going to play along with Bella's game for now and not question her attitude. "Please explain what it is you want from me?" He asked calmly, he appeared controlled but inside he was anything but, it was breaking his heart to see the little girl he hadn't seen for years so cagey, thin and full of resentment toward him.

Bella jutted her chin out determinedly. "Money."

"Money?" Charlie echoed her. "How much and what is it for?"

A bitter laugh erupted from Bella's throat as she looked at Charlie with disdain. "A few thousand. Call it payment for twelve, nearly thirteen years of neglect. I will be eighteen in a couple of months. I want to set up a proper home for me and Petey. With the money you owe me I will be able to rent an apartment and have an address which means I can look for work to support us both. Now do we have a deal?" She stared Charlie down for a moment, but it didn't last long. She dropped her eyes to the floor as her confidence, only bolstered by her anger began to wane.

"Bella!" Jacob was out of his chair and kneeling in front of her in a flash. "You can't live on your own…"

Bella stiffened. He was too close. "This is none of your business."

"Jake, please leave me and Bella alone to talk?" Charlie pleaded but sighed when he saw Jacob shake his head. Billy's son could be so damn stubborn; he really didn't understand what was at stake here.

"I'm not going anywhere." Jacob stood back up, pulled his chair a little closer to Bella's and sat back down. He wanted to support her, he could sense she was struggling and he didn't understand why Charlie was negotiating with her over money, shouldn't he be down on his knees begging for Bella's forgiveness and explaining why he hadn't been in her life?

Bella was getting impatient. "The money, Chief Swan? I have told you what I need it for. How much can you give me and when?" She demanded.

Charlie ran a hand through his greying hair and sat forward in his chair. "We both know that I am not going to hand you over any money, Bella. You are still a minor, and my daughter. You will come home and live with me where we can perhaps discuss an allowance for you. But before that I need you to answer some questions…"

"Fuck this!" Bella cursed. She couldn't sit still any longer, all her plans had dissolved into dust. She had been counting on playing on Charlie's guilt and the hope that he would just want rid of her, she assumed he would quickly hand over some cash. He lived alone, had no other dependents, he must have savings. Now he was suddenly announcing that she would be living with him? What about Petey? "You damn well owe me!"

"Bella." Jacob caught her hand as she walked around in a circle; she was actually shaking with anger. She glared at him and he quickly let go. "You need to calm down and listen."

"No I won't." Then it erupted. She was like Vesuvius, the lava of hate and hurt poured out of her as she turned her wrath on Charlie. "You, you just left me. I needed you and you didn't want to know. Do you have any idea of the life I've led, what I've seen, what I've been through?" Angry tears ran down her face as she pointed her finger right in Charlie's face. "Mom was right about you. You are a cold, unfeeling, selfish individual. She warned me that you would never be there, that you would never help. I should have known. I should have known." She was screaming in his face now. She felt Jacob try to capture her hand again but she was beyond stopping. All through her rage Charlie sat silently, his eyes and face full of anguish as he absorbed all her hurt emotions and soaked them up like a damp sponge. Bella ranted on and on until she ran out of breath and collapsed into her chair, her head buried in her hands and heaving sobs tearing from her chest.

* * *

It was at this point Charlie stood up. He didn't touch or hug his daughter; he knew she wouldn't want that. Instead he passed her a huge folder he had brought with him. Bella wiped her eyes furiously. She felt tired now she had unleashed her anger, tired and just irrevocably sad and lost. "What is this?" She opened up the file and found a picture of her five year old self staring back at her, it was missing poster and next to that picture was a computer image roughly looking as she did now. She stared and stared at it before she flipped through the folder. There were newspaper articles inside where Charlie had given interviews to several high profile papers over the years as he searched for his missing daughter. The folder was full of leads that had gone cold or turned out to be useless. There was so much information tucked inside that it took Bella a long time to rifle through it. Charlie and Jacob sat wordlessly nearby as she read and absorbed just what her father had done over the years to try and track her down. He had kept it all and filed it away. The folder was his dedication to his search for her over the past twelve years. Bella felt like she had been punched in the gut. At some point Billy must have returned because when she looked up he was near Jacob. He smiled and told her Petey had fallen asleep and was in the spare room.

Bella thanked him before she turned to look disconsolately at Charlie. He sighed and gave her a sad smile as he took the folder from her. "I don't know what you were told about me, Bella. But I never gave up looking for you. I loved you and your mother. She took off when you were five with another man and simply vanished. I tried all channels to find her, but she was living under the radar. Every lead I followed, I put missing posters everywhere, in as many states as I could reach. I kept your profile in people's minds as often as I could get air time on the radio and television. I've missed you and longed for this day with all my heart, hoping against hope that the older you got perhaps you would come looking for me. I understand your anger, I know I cannot begin to fathom what you have been through, but I am here, so are you and I want to help. I want a chance to show you who I really am and hope that you can find it in your heart to give me that chance."

It was a heartfelt speech and worthy of an Oscar. But life had taught Bella not to take things or people at face value. She found it hard to trust anyone. She had been knocked down too many times in the past. She stared at Charlie, trying to think of what to say or do. "I have Petey to think about." She mumbled.

"Of course you do." Charlie edged a little closer to her. "I have to ask, where are his parents, Bella?"

Jacob and Billy exchanged a bemused look before they turned their attention back to Charlie and his daughter. A haunted expression crossed Bella's face as she again became like a hunted animal. "He's my brother." She said fiercely.

Charlie shook his head. "We both know that he's not. Renee couldn't have any more children after you were born." He revealed, shocking both Billy and Jacob. Bella's hands began to shake as she stared at Charlie in horror. "He's not really your brother, Bella. Please tell me the truth."

"He is my brother." Bella cried out as she got up and backed away. "We'll be leaving now." She tried to get past Charlie who got in her path. He didn't touch her but refused to let her get by. "He's my brother." Bella insisted, her eyes swivelled left and right as she sought an avenue of escape. "Let me through."

"Bella, tell me the truth." Charlie persisted.

"Leave me alone." Bella yelled at him.

"Charlie." Billy said warningly. "Back off and stop playing the cop."

"You can see she's upset. Of course Petey is her brother. He looks just like her." Jacob was getting angry on her behalf. What the hell was Charlie thinking pushing Bella's buttons like this after everything? He got between Bella and her father and glared at Charlie.

Charlie ignored him and sought his daughter's eyes. Her head was down and she was biting down on her already sore lip. Her teeth sawed at it in her agitation, drawing more blood. "Bella it is important you tell the truth." He said quietly.

"Enough now, Charlie." Billy chided him. "Enough. We all need to take a moment. Bella is exhausted. We should leave the interrogation for later."

Charlie frowned as he locked stares with his oldest friend. Jacob noticed the two men giving each other a meaningful nod as if they both had guessed a secret he wasn't privy to. Charlie's face had paled as if internally he had acknowledged something that left a bitter taste in his mouth. Instead of questioning Bella further he backed off and sat down. "I'm sorry. Of course Petey is your brother. Billy is right I'm too used to playing the cop." He smiled wanly at Bella who seemed to visibly relax.

"Yes, Petey is my _brother._ " She echoed him. "I want to see him now."

"Of course. He's sleeping in the room next to the bathroom." Billy advised. Bella thanked him as she slipped hurriedly from the room.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part Four**

Bella lay down next to Petey and reached across to brush his hair away from his forehead, she smiled sadly as it sprang up into spikes again. It just made him look more endearing than ever. He was sound asleep and unaware that she was with him. It had been a while since she had seen him so peaceful, being on the run and wandering the streets meant neither of them got much rest, you always had be to alert, ready to run if anything untoward happened. Bella could hear the others talking in low voices in the front room, she couldn't quite make out the words but knew they must be discussing her. She didn't know what to think, her father had turned out to be the exact opposite of what her mother had led her to believe, the binder he had shown her was testament to that. He had been looking for her after all. A lone tear rolled down Bella's nose and fell onto the palm of her hand; she stared at it for a moment before brushing it angrily away with her fingers. Crying got you nowhere, it meant vulnerability and weakness and Bella was determined never to be either of those things ever again. She had the little boy lying beside her to protect. Her original plans had been blown out of the water so now she needed to decide what to do next. She still needed money, but Charlie wasn't about to hand her over money anytime soon. It seemed she would have to take the money by stealth, lull her father into a false sense of security, take what was hers and then disappear with Petey to somewhere he could never find them. Bella hardened her heart, she felt a little guilt but she had more important priorities than Charlie Swan's future hurt. She gazed down at Petey again; he appeared so vulnerable and innocent in his sleep. Bella wanted to make certain that he would never lose that innocence, not while she had blood in her veins and a beating heart to protect him. She lay her head down next to his and before she knew it drifted off into a troubled sleep.

* * *

The sound of a dog barking jolted Bella awake. _Damn it she had fallen asleep._ She glanced at the bed beside her and began to panic when she saw that her brother was missing. She was so disorientated that she forgot where she really was. Leaping out of the bed Bella ran out of the room calling Petey's name. Her heart thumped madly in her chest as adrenaline caused by fear and panic flooded her veins. She should have bolted the door, she should have wedged a chair under it so they couldn't come in and steal him away. Would she never learn her lesson? "Petey, Petey…." She screamed as she stumbled into the front room to find four pairs of startled eyes staring at her in stunned silence.

"Bells?" Petey tore away from the dog that he had been stroking and ran over to his sister. He clung to her legs as she gazed down at him, her hands wandering over his body as she checked him for injuries. She felt her hands shake as she lifted him up and hugged him tightly to her body.

"You never wander off again, do you hear?" She chided him as she pressed her lips into his hair.

"Sorry." Petey whispered. "I wanted to see Max."

"Max?" Bella raised her head and finally met the eyes of the others. She saw her father smile at her tentatively as he gestured toward a huge Alsatian who was sitting calmly by his side. Its tongue lolled out as it breathed deeply. Where the hell had this come from?

"He's a retired police dog." Charlie told her before she could say more. "I thought you might like him."

"Why would I want a dog?" Bella snapped.

"For protection I suppose. He's a bit long in the tooth now but…. "Charlie paused as he carefully brought Max over to Bella who stared at the dog in bemusement. "He knows his stuff. He's trained to keep intruders at bay. I thought when you came home to live with me; you might prefer the extra safeguard. I often have to work nights and well it gives me peace of mind too."

"Max is cool, Bella." Jacob suddenly interjected. "He nearly bowled me over." He grinned at her as Max barked on cue as if agreeing with him. "Petey loves him already, don't you buddy?"

Petey pulled back a little as Bella loosened her grip. He nodded vigorously, a small smile lighting up his face at the thought of having a dog. "Can we keep him, Bells? Please? Please?" He wheedled.

"If I come to stay, Petey comes with me." Bella assessed Charlie's reaction.

He smiled and nodded. "Of course both of you." He was rewarded when Bella relaxed and gently put Petey down on the ground again. He immediately left her side and ran to Max, burying his fingers in the dog's thick fur. Bella saw moisture glisten in Charlie's eyes as he looked down at the small boy. She frowned, she didn't want her father to get too attached to Petey, people often did, he was that type of kid. They wouldn't be staying long, only until she had managed to get enough money to start a life somewhere else.

"Bella." Jacob's voice broke through her thoughts. She turned her attention toward him, startled at how close he suddenly was to her. He could certainly creep about quietly, odd for a guy his size. She retreated a little and crossed her arms defensively. She saw that Jacob noticed but she wasn't going to apologise, she didn't like anyone getting into her personal space, it frightened her. "I have something for you." He continued. "It's outside in the garage if you want to look."

"Just me and you?" Bella asked suspiciously. She saw hurt cross his face and had to turn away from him for a moment. She couldn't help her reaction whenever someone appeared to be nice. You just never knew and having spent years concocting a hard shell around herself, it was hard to change the tone of her voice and show any type of gratitude. But Jacob had been very nice and helpful so far, she really was overreacting this time. She forced her shoulders to relax and uncrossed her arms. "Okay, you lead…." She gestured for him to go first.

"We'll be back in a while." Jacob told the others. He saw his father nod as both the older men listened to Petey's excited ramblings about his new best friend, Max. Bella touched her brother's cheek quickly before she followed Jacob out of the house.

* * *

The garage was really two sheds bolted together to create one big space. Bella glanced around, entranced despite herself at the contents inside. It appeared Jacob was working on fixing up two old motorcycles, they were in pieces and she nearly scattered the bolts and things that he had carefully put in order on the floor. She apologised but he just grinned and laughed at her discomfiture. "Don't worry about it." He was so easy going. Bella wasn't used to men like that. The only ones she had known would have belted her for tripping and getting in the way. Her mood darkened as the past began to encroach and weigh her down. She shrugged it off and tried to concentrate on what Jacob was showing her. "Here she is." He declared, hitting his hand on the hood of an ancient Chevy truck.

"Great." Bella had no idea what he was so happy about as he began to rhapsodize about the old monster's good points as if she was a prospective buyer.

"You have to double pump the clutch but other than that you should be good." Jacob continued as he patted the hood again.

"Right….but why are you telling me this? I mean it's a great truck and everything but I won't be driving her." Bella asked in confusion.

"She's yours." Jacob ran his fingers over the peeling cherry red paint and smiled at her again.

"I haven't any money." Bella was not amused now. Was he taking the piss? He knew her circumstances.

"I'm giving her to you." Jacob shrugged nonchalantly. "You'll need a ride to get around here. There isn't much public transport you know."

"Why would you give me something like this?" Bella didn't know what to think. Was this guy for real? What was his agenda? She eyed him suspiciously, but he just shrugged again as if it was no big deal that he was just giving something away for free as if he did things like that every day. "Thank you, but I can't accept." She said stubbornly.

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I will loan it to you then. How's that? Think of Petey."

"That's blackmail." Bella scowled.

"Yes it is." Jacob flashed her another sunny smile and his mood lightened when he saw her scowl fade and the corners of her mouth curve up into a smile of her own. She really was beautiful. He swallowed thickly as he turned away from her lest she guess what he was thinking. He knew she wouldn't appreciate his ogling right now.

"Okay, thank you for the loan." Bella finally conceded defeat but couldn't hide the flutter of pleasure in her stomach that she was going to have a ride of her own for the first time in her life.

Jacob just smiled again. "I guess we better get back to the others." He said reluctantly. He could have spent the whole day in the garage trying to get her to smile again.

"Yeah." Bella flushed a little as she turned away and hurried back out into the fresh air.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part Five**

Bella had been living with Charlie for a week now and she had to admit it had been the most peaceful time she had ever known. Of a night she shared a room with Petey. Charlie had put bunk beds in the room; she slept on the top while her brother took the bottom bunk. Max, who had become Petey's shadow, slept by the side of the little boy's bed. Every morning when she woke up Bella would find her brother half leaning out of his bed, one hand wrapped in the dog's thick fur. She couldn't deny that having the dog with them at night did make them feel safer. She had to thank her father for that. As for the man himself she was still trying to work him out. He had given her an allowance as he had promised; it was enough to fill the Chevy with gas with some left over for other bits and pieces. He was obviously tiptoeing around her, trying his best not to ask too many probing questions. He was good to Petey, and already her brother had taken to calling him Uncle Charlie, which made her flinch a little. The word Uncle had too many horrible connotations for her. Charlie seemed to notice her ambivalence and had put a stop to it after a few days and asked Petey just to call him Charlie instead.

It was the weekend; Bella got herself and then Petey ready for the day. Charlie had to go into work for the morning but had told them he would be done by lunchtime and invited them for lunch at the diner. Bella had reluctantly agreed, she would rather have spent the day with Petey exploring their new environment and taking the truck out for a long drive. She wanted to find the best way to quickly get out of Forks when it was time for them to go. Out of her small allowance she was trying to save as much as she could. One day in the future, after she had found out where he kept his money, she would take it all and she and Petey would be on their way. For now she needed to keep up the pretence that they were intending to stay for the long term so she agreed to meet her father for lunch at twelve.

Instead she and Petey took Max out for a long stroll. The dog bounded ahead glad to be off the leash as they wandered away from the small high street and headed down the main road, making sure to keep to the side. Bella called Max back and put him back on the lead as they watched the different cars go by. It was a pleasant morning, the sun was out and it took the chill from the air. Bella breathed in deeply as she let the fresh air fill her lungs. Suddenly Max barked startling her and Petey, her first instinct was to grab her brother and stare around, trying to see what had disturbed the animal. Her heart beat in her chest, pounding loudly and filling her ears. She couldn't see anything. Max barked again, his tail was up and wagging. Bella frowned as she held Petey tightly to her body. She spun around and jumped again when she found Jacob suddenly standing behind her. Where the hell had he come from? She hadn't heard his approach.

"Hey." Jacob smiled at her as he bent down and rubbed Max's head affectionately. "Good boy." He continued as the dog jumped up at him, his paws resting on Jacob's broad shoulders for a moment. Bella could swear that Max and Jacob were communicating in some way. The dog's intelligent brown eyes stared into Jacob's for a long moment before he calmed down and dropped to all fours. Immediately he went straight to Petey and stood by his side as if guarding him. Bella shook herself; she was losing her marbles if she thought the damn dog was communicating with Jacob. He had stood up and put his hands in his pockets as he looked at her with a sheepish expression on his face. "How are you both settling in?"

"I like it here." Petey piped up before Bella could answer him. "I like my room and Charlie, I can call him Charlie he said so, he lets us eat whatever we want. I've got new clothes too. See my shoes and my t-shirt has a dinosaur on it." He proudly showed Jacob his new outfit.

"Wow, buddy. You look super cool." Jacob grinned as he ruffled the little boy's hair. He could see that Petey had already put on a little weight. His skin was glowing and his eyes seemed brighter and less anxious than when he had last seen him. Jacob had kept his distance for a few days at Billy's insistence. His father had told him to give Bella and her brother time to settle in with Charlie. "And you Bella? How are you?" Jacob asked meaningfully. He saw the wary look crossing her face and it saddened him to see she still didn't trust him in any shape or form.

"Fine, thank you." She replied in clipped tones. "Petey and I are just going for a walk."

"Can I join you?" Jacob asked gently. "I drove over to see how you were both settling in. I saw you as I went past."

"Really?" Bella frowned, she didn't recall seeing him. However once again Petey decided for her, he took hold of Jacob's hand and tugged him forward. "It seems that you're invited then." Bella muttered sarcastically. She didn't mean to sound rude but she couldn't help it. She put her own hands in the pockets of her jacket and turned to start walking again.

"Are you sure you're comfortable with this?" Jacob checked. He couldn't see her face as she was now hiding behind her long hair. He didn't want to push his company on her if she was not feeling ready. He was willing to go at her pace, he wanted to get to know her better, and didn't want to blow it by being too pushy. Billy had warned him to be very careful.

"No, you're fine." Bella tried to smile, but for some reason her mouth wouldn't work properly. She kept facing forward as they walked cursing silently in her head as her skin burned. They ambled along in silence for a while as they followed after Max as he led the way.

"So what's it like living with Charlie?" Jacob tried again. Petey was in front of him and Bella now as he held on tightly to Max's leash while the dog explored the smells on the verge of the road.

"He can't cook." Bella divulged rolling her eyes as she did so. "We had takeaways for the first three nights until I offered to make a meal."

"I can't cook either." Jacob cringed at how lame that sounded. He saw Bella give him an odd look before she turned back to keep an eye on Petey. "I mean I can make basic stuff…no actually I'm lying. I can't even boil water without setting the smoke alarms off." Jeez, he knew he was babbling but he felt so awkward. "My dad tried to teach me, you know, but he gave up in the end, I nearly burnt the house down too many times…."

There was a moment of excruciating silence before Bella finally spoke. "I could teach you…." She offered tentatively. "You know as a way to thank you for loaning me the truck."

Jacob's face broke out into a sunny smile. "Really?"

"Yes." Bella was almost blinded by the happiness on his face; it made him look his actual age for a moment. She kept forgetting that he was only sixteen. He always seemed much older and not just in appearance. "If you're up for it."

"Totally." Jacob said in a rush. Bella could swear she saw a hint of red colour his cheeks and she found herself smiling in return. Slowly a small crack surfaced around the hard shell she had put around herself and she relaxed a little, actually engaging him in conversation instead of just giving one word answers. When Petey saw his sister relax, it made him less anxious and as a result the three of them wandered quite a way, talking about inconsequential things. It was only by chance that Bella glanced at the cheap watch she had bought with her new allowance and found it was gone twelve, and she realised she had forgotten all about meeting her dad for lunch. "You okay?" Jacob asked as he noticed her face turn white.

"We're late." Bella muttered. Her hand shook and she had to use her other hand to steady it. "I forgot the time."

Jacob was stunned by her reaction. She looked scared. He nearly reached out to put a hand on her shoulder until he remembered at the last moment she didn't like being touched. He dropped his arm to his side. "Don't stress."

"But I'm late." Bella turned as Petey ran over to her, he clung to her legs, and his little face was as anxious as hers.

"Will Charlie be mad?" He whispered, he was close to tears. "Will he beat me?"

Jacob's breath came out in a rush as he watched Petey burst into tears. Bella tried to soothe her brother but she seemed just as distressed. "Charlie will not be angry in any way I promise." He hunkered down next to the small boy who was now shaking with sobs. Max was whining as the anxiety infected him too. "Why would you think that? I know him and I assure you he won't be mad or upset in any way. It doesn't matter if you're late, honestly." It hurt him deeply to see Bella and Petey react this way. It was only now sinking in what they may have had to endure in the past. It sickened him. He watched as Bella forced herself to calm down as she hugged Petey tightly.

"Listen to Jacob, Petey. He's right. Anyway we've got Max to look after us, haven't we?" Bella said gently, trying to keep her tone calm. "It's fine."

"It's fine." Petey echoed her. Bella picked him up and buried his head in the crook of her neck. She rubbed his back in soothing circles as she began to walk back the way they had come. "It's fine, all fine." Petey kept mumbling the words over and over.

"Bella…" Jacob began but she interrupted him.

"Will you come to lunch with us?" She suddenly asked, for the first time she looked him straight in the eyes and his heart clenched painfully in his chest as he saw the utter desperation shining in her own.

"Of course." Jacob promised. "Charlie won't be angry, Bella." He tried to reassure her again.

"Still…." Bella's eyes flicked to Max who was striding protectively close to her and Petey. She left the rest unsaid as she clutched her trembling brother's body tightly to hers.

 _ **A/N-thank you for reading!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thanks for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part Six**

Charlie was surprised that Jacob was joining them for lunch. He was already sitting at his favourite table at the diner when his daughter appeared with Billy's son in tow. They were a little late, but he had spent the time looking at the menu and trying to guess what Petey might like. He waved to them as they weaved their way through the tables toward him, and it was only when they drew closer that he noticed how white Bella's face was, and Petey's complexion didn't look much better. They both appeared jumpy and nervous as they sat down opposite him and cringed, as if both expecting some kind of retribution for being a little late. It upset Charlie more when he began to ask Petey what he might like to order, and before he had even spoken the little boy shrank back in his chair and began to say sorry over and over.

"Hey, buddy." Jacob was quick to intervene. "Remember what we told you. Everything's cool, everything is fine."

"Cool, fine." Petey echoed him as he glanced at Bella.

Bella gathered her wits together when she realised that Charlie didn't look angry in the slightest, he just appeared bemused and worried. "It's okay, Petey." She added her reassurance to Jacob's.

"Are you both alright?" Charlie asked cautiously.

"Yes." Bella said stiffly. She swallowed down her irrational fear and tried to smile. "We're sorry we are late. Time got away from us, we went for a walk."

"Blame me, Charlie." Jacob interjected. "I distracted them."

"Alright then." Charlie took Jacob's cue and kept his voice calm and a little low. He saw Petey relax as he passed him the children's menu. "You can choose whatever you like." He offered.

"Can I?" Petey checked. "You're not mad?"

"Not at all." Charlie assured him wondering what on earth had set the poor child off thinking that there would be retribution because they were a little late. He felt sick inside at the thought of what abuse poor Petey and Bella had suffered to make them freak out so badly. He looked across at Jacob who was clearly thinking the same thing.

Petey relaxed further and colour finally returned to his face as it did to Bella's. She helped her brother pick out something and they all settled down to wait for the order.

* * *

"Dad, it was so heart breaking." Jacob told his father a little later. "Petey was so frightened, Bella too." He shook his head at the memory. Thankfully as the meal had progressed everyone had relaxed and Petey seemed to perk up and enjoy himself. But Bella had remained practically mute and when addressed directly she appeared lost in her own little world, her eyes showed pain and Jacob could only guess at the awful memories she was reliving.

Billy studied his son carefully. He was worried about Jacob pursuing a friendship or a possible relationship with Bella Swan. He knew that the poor girl was severely traumatised by whatever had happened to her in the past, it nauseated him just thinking about the extent of it. He knew his son well and he could already see that Jacob was going to make it his mission to save Bella Swan no matter what. But Jacob didn't know what he was going to be getting himself into. Dealing with a person who had been through such abuse had to be handled very carefully, she seemed to be in denial about her brother for a start and closed down when questioned about her mother or where Renee was, or where they had been living. Charlie had told him he had been trying to make discreet enquiries about Renee, especially after Petey had made an odd comment that his mommy was _with the angels._ When Charlie had gently asked Bella about what her brother had divulged she just shrugged and made an excuse to leave the room. Charlie was trying to be so careful; he didn't want to push his daughter too hard in case she bolted.

"Dad, are you listening?" Jacob's question brought Billy back into the moment.

"What?"

"The bonfire party, I was thinking of asking Bella if she would like to come, and Petey too. What do you think? Can they?" Jacob persisted.

Billy mulled it over for a few seconds. The bonfire party was an annual gathering for the tribe to celebrate their culture; they shared stories, legends of the past and hope for the future. It was a way for the people to bond with each other and for the younger generation to mix with the elders and learn more about their illustrious past. Billy looked forward to the event every year as he was the main guest speaker. He loved weaving his tales about the past, and enjoyed seeing a captivated audience listen to him in awe as he shared a lifetime of knowledge. Outsiders were not usually welcome as it was a private event especially for the Quileute's, but Charlie had come occasionally and joined them, he was a familiar figure to most people and he enjoyed a lot of respect on the reservation, but others not so much, they were viewed with suspicion if they turned up on what was deemed a special night and soon left with so many watchful eyes upon them. "I think it might be a little too much for Bella and Petey." He said eventually.

"Come on, dad." Jacob replied irritably. "Charlie will come and that means they can too. Bella and Petey need this; they need to feel part of things again. I want them…"

"Yes _you want_." Billy pointed out. "There will be a lot of people there, your friends and some of the pack. How do you think poor Bella will cope with the likes of Paul Lahote if he starts on one of his rants about pale faces, and Leah? What if Bella comes across Harry's daughter? You know how Leah can be after all that debacle with Sam and Emily. No…I don't think it's a good idea." He stated firmly.

"Stuff Lahote!" Jacob snapped. "I'll make Sam keep the ass out of the way. Send him on a long patrol, and as for Lee, I hardly think she'll want to talk to Bella…."

Billy sighed heavily. "Jake, everyone knows."

"Knows what?" Jacob demanded.

"That you have developed an…" Billy tried to find the right word. "An attachment to Bella." He held up his hand when he saw Jacob frown. "Sam came to see me, he's worried about you, and how this situation could affect the pack if you become over involved with someone who is in a very fragile state emotionally. Sam has already had to warn Leah off interfering. She sees Bella as someone who has been hurt emotionally like herself, so yes she will definitely try and approach Bella if she comes to the bonfire."

"What the hell?" Jacob was infuriated. Sam had been talking to his dad behind his back? He cursed the pack mind. It laid bare his every thought and emotion; the others had been witness to his feelings toward Bella and what she may have gone through. There was no hiding when he was phased. Every thought he had, they had to, every emotion he experienced, they did as well. It was tiresome, invasive and it sickened him that he didn't seem to have the ability to switch off his brain when he ran as a wolf. Even Sam, who was the Alpha, had trouble hiding everything, although he was more skilled than most. "Can't I have any damn privacy even when I'm not phased?"

"That is not how it is." Billy replied. "He is just thinking of your wellbeing, and that of the pack as a whole. Not only that, I don't want poor Bella getting weighed down with more problems than she is carrying in her battered heart already. You are a protector Jake; you have a lot on your shoulders, which means if you commit to anyone than eventually they will be forced to deal with your issues too. Do you really think Bella would be able to cope? Do you?" He looked his son straight in the eye as he drove his point home.

Jacob glared at his dad for a moment, he knew Billy had made some pertinent points but he felt he was wrong too. Yes, he was a protector, but didn't that make him the perfect person to help Bella, to make her and Petey feel safe in the long term? He was entitled to a life too, wasn't he? He wasn't going to go blundering in and pressure Bella in any way. He wanted to be her friend, and if perhaps in the future she was ready for more, then he would be there. He wasn't an idiot; he knew he had to be careful around her. But he still felt he was in the right to invite her to the bonfire party, it would help her to mix more and there would be other young children there, perfect for Petey to make friends with. So despite what Billy had told him Jacob was determined to ask Bella.

* * *

Petey had fallen asleep, his head rested in Bella's lap as he snoozed. They had been watching 'The Railway Children,' a children's classic. Petey had loved the old steam trains and had been captivated by the story of the four orphan children. Charlie came in from the kitchen where he had been doing some paperwork; he smiled at his daughter when he saw that the little boy had fallen asleep. "He looks so peaceful." He said quietly so as not to disturb Petey.

"Yeah, he does." Bella agreed as she looked down at her brother's sweet face. She felt her eyes becoming moist and she blinked back tears before she turned her attention back to her father. "Thank you for lunch today. He really enjoyed it." It was the first time she had directly spoken to him all day and she could see the look of relief in his eyes when she did so.

"You're very welcome." Charlie hesitated for a moment before continuing. "If you ever need to talk about anything, anything at all, you can come to me. Or if that makes you feel uncomfortable I could arrange for you to speak to a professional."

Bella frowned. "Like a shrink?"

"No, a therapist, someone who is trained in dealing with…." Charlie stopped; already realising he had made a huge blunder.

"Dealing with what?" Bella asked coldly.

Charlie coughed uncomfortably. He cursed himself in his head for opening his mouth in the first place. She had finally seemed relaxed and now he had pushed her too far again. He didn't know how to recover the situation so had no choice but to forge ahead. "You know dealing with victims of…of…."

"I am not a victim of anything but interfering busybodies who know nothing about what they're talking about." Bella whispered harshly. She gently prodded Petey waking him up from his sleep. He looked at her blearily as she picked him up and waltzed out of the room, Max following close behind them.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part Seven**

"And taste it." Bella held up the spoon in front of Jacob's mouth, he leaned forward and closed his eyes as she put the spoon between his lips and let the sauce fill his mouth. It was delicious and set his taste buds on fire. Jacob opened his eyes again and grinned. His infectious smile made Bella's lips curve upwards for a second before she handed him the spoon again so he could try more. "See you add this to the lasagne, and voila!"

"I can't believe I made this. I made this! Me!" Jacob licked his lips at the delicious taste. "You are an awesome teacher Bella Swan." He declared.

Bella rolled her eyes in amusement as she added the rest of the sauce to the lasagne before popping it back in the stove. For the last five days she had kept her part of the bargain and spent two hours a day teaching Jacob simple meals that he could easily make himself at home. She had been a little ambivalent at first, anxious about spending time with him alone in the house while Charlie took Petey out to give them some space. Her little brother kept interrupting the lessons as he wanted to taste everything they cooked, so Charlie had offered to babysit while Bella was preoccupied. It had taken a monumental amount of persuasion on his part to get her to agree, after putting his foot in it before when he mentioned the therapist he was determined to make it up to her in any way he could, and as a bonus he got to spend quality time with the little boy he had become increasingly fond of. Bella had been a bundle of nerves the first time Charlie took Petey out of the house where she couldn't see him, and it took immense willpower not to go out and check on them, but when she had seen her brother come back from the outing, glowing and full of excitement, she had relaxed.

She had to admit that Jacob had been fun company too. Bella would never have thought she would feel comfortable enough around any male to spend much time alone in their company, but Jacob's enthusiasm to learn and his gentle and sunny nature put her at ease, and for short periods of time while she was teaching him and teasing him for his lack of culinary skills, she had felt almost like a normal teenager, not quite but almost. Today was the last lesson and she secretly had to admit she was a bit sad that it was over already, but unless he wanted to learn more complicated meals than this was it. "It should be ready in an hour than we can taste it."

"Awesome." Jacob smiled at her again making Bella feel a little self-conscious when he held her gaze for a little longer than necessary. She tore her eyes away from his and turned her attention to the huge pile of washing up that had to be done. They had made quite a mess. She felt her skin burn as she filled the sink with water and added some liquid. "Hey, let me do that." Jacob came up behind her, she was certain she could feel the heat from his body communicate itself to hers. She swallowed thickly as she backed away. He was too close and she needed to put some space between them.

"If you want to, than the job's all yours." Bella said lamely. Damn her traitorous skin was flushing again. What was wrong with her? She frowned as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

"Bella…" Jacob began. Bella looked at him enquiringly. He had a strange expression on his face as if he was going to say something she might not want to hear or wasn't going to agree to. He hesitated for a few seconds, his dark eyes roaming her face as if for inspiration. "Um…tomorrow night we're having a bonfire party at the beach. It's an annual get together that the tribe have every year…"

"I'm sorry but no." Bella interjected immediately. Now she knew why he appeared so uncomfortable. She tugged on the hem of her shirt as she avoided his gaze. She was beginning to regret the cooking lessons now; they seemed to have given him some sort of green light that she wanted to date or something. She couldn't deny the way he was looking at her, she wasn't naïve, and she guessed that he seemed to like her, why she couldn't understand.

"Bella…" Jacob tried again.

"NO." Bella said loudly, startling them both. She closed her eyes for a second, feeling mortified that she had shown her loss of control. "Thank you for the invitation but I have to refuse, sorry." She said in a gentler tone.

"Can you just hear me out for a moment?" Jacob dried his wet hands on a paper towel as he faced her fully. She still avoided his eyes but at least she hadn't bolted. He watched as she shrugged her shoulders and began fiddling with the hem of her shirt again. "It's a family event too, kids can go. I thought it might be a nice outing for Petey. Charlie has been before a few times when he hasn't been working. It's fun, my dad tells the most amazing stories…you said that Petey likes stories, right? There are stalls set up serving traditional food and drink. We have a local band that plays music and well….it's really fun." He knew he was babbling now, but he was so desperate to get her to come. He searched her face for a sign that she was coming around to the idea. "Bella? What do you think? Say something, anything…please?" He flashed her one of his sunny smiles and was rewarded when she nodded slightly. "Cool!"

"And this is definitely an event for young children too?" Bella checked again. "Can we bring Max?"

"Yeah, he can come too, as my special guest." Jacob joked lamely.

Bella shrugged again as she put her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "I guess we could check it out for an hour or so." She mumbled.

"Awesome." Jacob reached out a hand to capture hers, nearly forgetting that she didn't like close personal contact. He stopped himself just in time and held up his hand as if high fiving her instead. Bella looked at him oddly for a second before she gave in and gently touched her palm to his for the briefest of seconds, but the contact was long enough to make Jacob feel as if she had branded his soul.

* * *

Bella knew she had made a mistake as soon as Jacob pulled up at First beach. The whole area was jam packed with people, people she didn't know and a place she wasn't familiar with. What had she been thinking? She loathed crowds, they made her feel trapped and out of control. Wherever she went she would always make sure she had an escape route and kept on the edge of things. In the middle of the beach a huge bonfire had been set up. It was surrounded by a temporary wooden fence to keep the children away from it. Lots of people swarmed around it like a beacon as they drank, ate and talked. From a distance she could hear the band playing. She couldn't see them as they were too far away. A special area appeared to have been cordoned off to make a safe play area for children. There were kids of all ages there, some younger than Petey right up until about ten. Separate from them was another cordoned off area filled with teenagers acting out and showing off to each other. Everything was so loud and Bella felt her apprehension increase.

"Can we get out now?" Petey was eager to escape the confines of the car. Jacob had been regaling him with tales about the games set up for the kids to play, and had promised he had already picked out a group of youngsters who were dying to meet him. Max barked excitedly, he was channelling Petey's enthusiasm and he seemed as eager to escape the car as the little boy. "Bells, can we get out now? I wanna play." He said to his sister.

"Ready?" Jacob turned to face Bella and frowned when he saw the panicky expression on her face. "Hey, it's okay, I know it looks crowded but I promise it will be fine. We'll stay on the edges if you like. The children's play area isn't so swamped. Come on." He slid out of the car and waited patiently for Bella to gather herself together.

Bella took a few deep breaths, her eyes already scanning the area for the best and fastest way to escape if she needed to. She forced her body to move as she got out of the car and hurriedly picked her brother up and kept Max close to her side for protection. Bella bit down hard on her lower lip as she followed after Jacob, her heart beating loudly in her chest and filling her ears as she tried to stay in control lest she scare Petey.

* * *

Bella sat on the edge of the cordon, a plastic cup filled with lemonade clutched tightly in her hand and her eyes firmly resting on Petey as he moved. He was playing tag with a group of kids his own age that Jacob had introduced him to. She couldn't shake her anxiety as blood filled her mouth from the open sore on her lip where she had been biting it so hard. Max was on guard by her side as he too kept watch. Jacob had been pulled to one side almost as soon as they had reached the play area and nabbed some drinks. He had sighed heavily as someone who could have been his twin brother hailed him. The other guy had a serious expression on his face and seemed impatient for Jacob to join him. "I won't be long. Embry just wants a word." Jacob had shrugged apologetically before running over to his friend. They had been deep in conference ever since. It must be serious because she hadn't seen Jacob smile once, his mood seemed to have gone south with whatever he was hearing. This only made Bella more anxious herself. She knew she wouldn't be able to tolerate this for much longer. She had promised herself she would stay for an hour and if it got too much she would leave.

"Bella right?" A feminine voice interrupted her introspection.

Bella glanced up to see an attractive looking woman a little older than she was, with bobbed black hair and the longest lashes she had ever seen looking down at her. The girl was built like a pro athlete, her tan skin glowed in the dim light and her legs seemed endless. "Yeah, I'm Bella. How do you know me?"

"I'm Leah." The girl sat down next to Bella, crossing her amazing legs in front of her as she did so. "Jake told me about you." She said by way of explanation.

"What did he say about me?" Bella didn't mean to sound abrupt but she hated the thought of being talked about without her knowledge.

"Chill girlfriend." Leah had her own cup in her hand, Bella could smell the alcohol. She glared at the other girl as she took a sip of her own lemonade. "I just thought I would introduce myself that's all."

"Nice to meet you." Bella replied icily. She had the sense that Leah knew more about her than she liked, it was obvious by the way she was looking at her.

"No need to be frosty." Leah continued after a moment. "Girls like us have to stick together. I get it you know." She said in a quieter tone as she looked Bella directly in the eyes.

"Girls like us? You get it? Get what exactly?" Bella felt anger lick at her spine. Who was this stranger to tell her she understood anything about her?

"I mean I know what it's like to have your world ripped from under you and your heart torn to shreds." Leah stated pointedly as she took a huge gulp of her drink. "Men…you can't trust them. Any of them." Her dark eyes turned toward a couple who were standing not too far away from them. The man was well built like Jacob and his friend Embry, with the same short, cropped hair. The female was small and petite. Her long hair hid one half of her face as she gazed up at the male adoringly. He was leaning down and whispering something in her ear, making her giggle coquettishly. "See him, that used to be my boyfriend, Sam Uley, and see that little witch draping herself all over him; she's my cousin, Emily."

Bella stared over at the couple wondering why any sane male would ditch a beauty like Leah for another, especially a member of the same family. "He's a tool and she's a bitch." She stated bluntly. "Why don't you go over there and slap her?"

"I wish I could. You don't know how I wish I could." Leah muttered bitterly as she drank some more.

"What's stopping you?" Bella asked, more curious than she cared to admit.

"Now that's the million dollar question, isn't it?" Leah spat as her eyes became almost black with anger.

"Seems simple enough to me." Bella shrugged as she began to hunt for Petey again. Panic set in and tightened her chest when she couldn't see him, almost immediately she stood up, her heart was hammering, the beating filled her ears and she felt like she was going to faint. Damn it, she had allowed herself to get distracted. "PETEY!" She cried out. "PETEY!" There was no answer. Max began to growl, the hackles on his back rising as he charged off straight over to Sam and Emily. Bella stumbled after him, she heard Leah calling out to her and from further away she heard Jacob yelling. Bella reached Sam and Emily, her skin was burning and she was shaking with fear and anger. Behind Emily she saw Petey, he was standing looking absolutely terrified because of all the commotion. Sam had put a hand on Petey's shoulder and the little boy cringed as if he was going to be smacked for doing something wrong.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM." Bella screamed in Sam's face. He immediately let go and stared at her as if she was mad. Bella gathered her brother in her arms and held him tightly as he sobbed on her shoulder.

"You're insane." It was Emily who spoke and broke the tense silence. Their altercation had attracted quite a crowd. Bella became tense as she felt all eyes staring at her and judging. Emily got right in her face. "Sam was only checking to see if the little boy was alright. It was your screaming that frightened him."

"Keep away from me." Bella hissed as Emily got too close. "I'm warning you."

Emily ignored her and shook her head in disbelief. "You are a freak." She retorted. "Just like I thought you would be. Jake should never have brought you here; I knew it would cause trouble."

The slap was so loud that it seemed to echo around the whole beach. Emily cried out in pain as she held her cheek in her hand. Bella's hand was shaking as it dropped to her side. Everything had gone quiet apart from Max's growls, and Emily's cries of pain. Bella felt Jacob come up on one side of her and Leah on the other. "You deserved that Emily Young." Leah sneered as she glared at her cousin. "I only wish I had been allowed to do that myself." Her eyes flicked to Sam before she laid a hand on Bella's arm. Bella was so dazed that she didn't shake it off as she would normally. Her palm was stinging from where it had connected with Emily's skin. As if from a distance she heard Jacob say something, but everything sounded fuzzy as the past came back to haunt her like a slap in the face. The only thing that was real was the distressed boy in her arms. She felt herself being led away from the judgemental eyes that were assessing her and found her wanting.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading! :(**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thanks for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part Eight**

Bella and Petey were practically mute on the drive home from La Push. Jacob desperately tried to engage her in conversation but she had shut down. She mumbled she didn't feel like speaking and turned to stare sightlessly out of the window. Petey had closed his eyes as soon as he was in the car; it was as if both of them had retreated into another world in their heads, a world far removed from this one. Leah had tried to come back with them but Jacob had snapped at her to leave them alone. He blamed her partially for what happened, he didn't know for certain what Leah had said to Bella, but it had been enough to set her on the path to self-destruction. Then there was Emily, Jacob was so livid with Sam's imprint. How dare she open her filthy mouth and call Bella a freak? Between her and Leah it must have sounded to Bella like he had been doing nothing but gossiping about her situation to his friends which was so far from the truth. It was the damn pack mind which was at fault here. He had confided in no one, not even his closest friends, Embry and Quil, about Bella. What the pack knew they had picked from his mind, and they barely understood the extent of Bella and Petey's fragility.

The normally fifteen minute journey seemed endless and it was with relief when Jacob parked the car in the Swan's driveway behind Charlie's cruiser. It seemed that Bella's father was finally home from work. When Jacob switched off the engine the silence was deafening. He swallowed thickly as he glanced behind at Petey who was beginning to open his eyes. Bella unclipped her seat belt and climbed out of the car without saying a word to Jacob, she hurriedly picked Petey up from the backseat, throwing Jacob a dark look when he tried to help. He felt frustrated and didn't know what to say. His father had been right, he should never have taken Bella to the bonfire party it had been too much. He had blown it and he didn't know how to even begin to apologise to her and give her an explanation that made an ounce of sense. He followed behind Bella as she carried Petey up the porch steps.

"Bella, I just want…."

Bella halted and took in a deep breath before she turned to face him. Her face was a mask of pain and hurt was clearly shining in her large brown eyes. Jacob felt like he had been punched in the gut. "I want to thank you for everything you've done." She said softly, she was still holding onto her brother tightly as she spoke, she rubbed Petey's spiky hair absently, trying to soothe him with her touch if not with her voice. "But I don't think we should see each other anymore. Goodnight." With those parting words she entered the house and closed the door after her, leaving Jacob standing alone on the front porch feeling absolutely devastated.

* * *

Charlie was sitting in the front room watching the flat screen. He turned when he saw his daughter enter the house and was immediately alarmed at the state of her. Her face was white and she seemed irrevocably sad and lost as she mumbled soothing phrases to Petey who was crying quietly into her shoulder. Charlie got up and hurried over to them, worried about what on earth had happened to make them like this. He had thought they were going to the bonfire party with Jacob and enjoying themselves, little Petey had been so eager to go.

"Bella, what's wrong?" He asked cautiously.

Bella began to climb the stairs like a ghost, her eyes seemed far away as if she wasn't really there but lost in her own head. "Can we talk tomorrow? I'm feeling very tired right now, so is Petey." She murmured. She didn't turn back to look at her father as she continued to climb the stairs before disappearing into her shared room with Petey. Behind them Max followed closely, ever the guard dog as he kept protectively by their side.

* * *

Bella carefully helped her little brother undress and put on his dinosaur pyjamas. She then put him to bed on the bottom bunk. Immediately Max took up position beside Petey, who reached out and gripped a chunk of the dog's fur in his fist as if just feeling Max's calming presence reassured him. "Bells." He whispered disconsolately. "Will we have to go now?" His voice was full of resignation as if he already knew the answer.

"Yes, it's time." Bella felt a lone tear roll down her cheek as she hunkered down beside her brother and stroked his forehead with gentle fingers.

"Can Max come too?" Petey's lower lip trembled as he held on tighter to the dog's fur.

"I don't think so, Petey. He will need feeding and…"

"Please Bells. Please?" Petey sounded so desperate that his plea pierced Bella's fractured heart and made it ache in her chest. How could she deny him this one small thing? She would find a way to make it work, for his sake.

"Okay, Petey. Max can come too. You have to sleep now, we'll be leaving in a few hours." Bella watched her brother relax a little now that he knew the dog was coming with them. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a troubled sleep. Bella watched him for a moment before she began to quietly pack their few belongings into a bag along with the money she had managed to save. There was no chance of taking any from Charlie, and any way she would feel guilty for doing so considering how kind he had been to them. No, she would find a way to get then what they needed. After she was finished she sat down on the floor next to Max and waited while the hours slowly drifted by. There was no way she could seek rest, the nightmares would imbue her with more fear than she felt already, no it was best to stay awake and remain alert until it was time to go.

* * *

Jacob ran as a wolf for hours. He didn't head back to the bonfire party, he was too angry. He wanted to sort through his emotions before he confronted Sam and Emily, as well as Leah. Guilt ate away at him as he sprinted through the thick forest, the twigs and low branches snagged his fur and dug him in the ribs as he weaved through the dense foliage, but he felt none of it. He was lost in his own head, replaying in his mind Bella's last words to him. He knew that Paul and Jared were phased, but for once neither of them intruded on his thoughts, in fact he felt some empathy from his brothers, especially Paul. Lahote had been on the wrong end of his father's anger many times when he was young and seeing his past pain reflected in the eyes of a small, four year old boy was hard to take.

It was nearly one in the morning when Jacob finally gave in and headed home for the night. He was due to patrol in the morning and needed his rest, though he doubted he would sleep much. He phased back and walked the last few miles back to his house so he could have total privacy. He had gone over and over in his head on what he should do about Bella, telling her the complete and honest truth would be a start, but he remembered his father's warning about Bella being too emotionally fragile to cope with anything remotely like what he would have to confess. He felt upset and completely frustrated. There seemed to be a brick wall in his way whatever course of action he chose to take. The worst feeling was knowing that he had hurt Bella and Petey by his stubborn refusal to listen to Billy's advice. He thought he knew best, his dad had been right, it was because he wanted Bella to come and experience something that he loved which had led him down this path and resulted in setting their recovery back tenfold. Sharing the cooking lessons with Bella had shown him she was gradually beginning to trust him, he had sensed it, and now his own stupidity had ruined everything. She didn't want to see him and he couldn't blame her.

To Jacob's surprise he found that Billy was still awake and seemed to be waiting for him. His father was sitting by the table carving something; it was a miniature replica of Max that he was going to give Petey as a present. "You're back then." He said unnecessarily when Jacob came silently into the room and joined him.

"You heard?" Jacob put his head in his hands as despair and shame washed over him.

"Everybody heard." Billy sighed heavily and stopped carving. He looked at his son and reached out and gripped his broad shoulder. "How are they?"

"Bella told me she didn't want to see me again." Jacob finally raised his head; his eyes were bright with moisture as he felt tears welling in them. It had been years since he had cried; the last time had actually been at his mother's funeral. "I've messed up big time, dad, and I don't know what to do. I really don't. I should have listened to you."

"I had a meeting with Sam and the other elders tonight after the bonfire party ended." Billy revealed. "He was reprimanded for his actions and so was Emily. She had no right to say that to Bella, none at all." This news surprised Jacob. It was rare that the elders would interfere in the way that a pack Alpha behaved, but he was glad that they had done so. It needed to be done. Sam should never have allowed his imprint to say such cruel things to Bella, especially knowing how fragile she was. "Leah came and confessed what she had said to Bella too. It seems that she tried to bond with Charlie's daughter and didn't really understand the extent of what Bella has been through. She feels exceptionally guilty and wanted me to tell you personally that she is sorry and hopes to go and talk to Bella herself to apologise for maybe riling Bella up before the confrontation with Emily occurred."

Jacob felt mollified that Leah had confessed to what she had done. He had been wondering what she had said to Bella, now he knew, although it didn't make the situation any better. "How did Sam cope with being told he was in the wrong?" He questioned. "I plan on having words with him myself and Emily."

"That is your prerogative." Billy picked up the piece of wood and began to carve it again. "Sam was not happy at what he thought was an unprovoked assault on his imprint, but conceded he should have handled things differently. He said he didn't mean to upset Petey and that he was only trying to calm the little boy down. As for Emily she pretended to be contrite but you know I am not a fan of the Young girl, it all looked like an act to me, but she is Sam's imprint and hopefully this warning will sink in and teach her to keep her mouth shut."

Jacob agreed with his father. He had never really warmed to Emily; she had always come across as duplicitous but managed to hide it behind a veil of sickly sweetness which set your teeth on edge. He sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his cropped hair. None of this solved his problem about what to do regarding Bella and Petey. "Dad I need your advice." He pleaded. Billy stopped carving and looked at him expectantly. "I've really screwed up with Bella; she has lost what little trust she had in me. How can I get her to forgive me?"

"That won't be easy, Jake. Bella is very withdrawn emotionally and with none of us having any idea of the true extent of what she and Petey have been through it is going to be hard to try and find the best way to help her understand."

"She says she doesn't want to see me again."

"Then write to her, Jake. Put it all down on paper about how sorry you are. At least she will be able to read your apology without having to deal with you face to face while you say it. Hopefully she will be able to understand that your intentions were good and forgive you for pushing too hard." Billy began to carve again. "You can send this to Petey for me with your letter. He asked me to make it for him." Jacob could already see the polished wood forming in the shape of a dog. Billy had an amazing talent. His father's idea sounded a good one so Jacob decided to pen the letter while the words were fresh in his mind. He would deliver it in the morning and hoped fervently that Bella would forgive him.

* * *

Charlie woke up at his usual time of six in the morning. He had a shower, put on his uniform and made himself a quick breakfast By the time this was all done it was gone seven and he needed to leave for work. He decided to check on Bella and Petey before he left, normally they were early risers but they must have decided to have a lie in. Charlie ran lightly up the stairs and knocked gently on the door, there was no answer. He tried again before tentatively twisting the handle and opening it. The room was empty. A cold chill clenched at his heart as the underlying fear that had been hiding inside him ever since he had gotten his daughter back came to the fore. He stepped into the room and flung open the wardrobes and drawers. They were all empty, all their clothes were missing. Charlie thundered back down the stairs and out of the house and his worst fears were realised when he saw that the Chevy was missing from the drive. It was certain, Bella and Petey had run off.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading! :'(**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thanks for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part Nine**

 _ **Two weeks later;**_

Charlie sat at his desk in the station with his head in his hands. His daughter and Petey had been missing for over a fortnight and he had exhausted all avenues to track them down. He had put out an alert to neighbouring forces giving a description of the Chevy and its plate number, hoping against hope that someone somewhere would spot it, but no luck so far. He tried to gather himself together as he rubbed his aching forehead; he was so weary, not having slept properly since the kids had gone missing. His thoughts travelled back to the day Bella and her brother had taken off. The first thing he had done was travel to La Push and have a long talk with Jacob about what had happened the night of the bonfire party. Billy's son just about fell apart when he learned that Bella and Petey had fled. Then it all came tumbling out, the confrontation with Emily, Petey getting upset when Sam was trying to calm him down and how upset Bella had become thinking people were talking about her. Charlie was incensed, he gave Jacob a dressing down before heading over to Sam and Emily's and tearing a strip off of them too. Doing so hadn't resolved anything but it had made him feel better. Emily had cried her eyes out but Charlie wasn't fooled by her crocodile tears.

Jacob had followed Charlie and begged for information. He was so distraught about what had happened that Charlie softened toward him and allowed him to accompany him back to Forks so they could begin searching. Since then it had been nothing but days of frantic activity as nearby towns were searched and missing posters were put up. Charlie had no pictures of Bella other than the old mocked up computer images and there was none of little Petey at all. This made it all the harder to give the public a proper idea of what they looked like. Charlie felt like he was being hampered at every turn. Jacob had rallied some of his friends and they had spent two days searching Port Angeles, the place where he had originally run into Bella and Petey, but there was no trace of them. It was like they had vanished from the face of the earth.

* * *

Petey opened his eyes and lifted his head up from where it had been resting on Max's flank. He rubbed his eyes and turned to look at his sister. Bella's long hair was draped across her face but it still didn't hide the dark bruising around her left eye. She had been hit in the face when a mugger had robbed her of the last of their money. Max had taken off after the thief but had lost him when he managed to cross a busy road and evade him. For the last day or so they had resorted to begging and raiding the back of shops where old food had been thrown away. That's where they were now, hiding out behind some huge dumpsters at the back of one of the bigger stores. They had not been able to find shelter anywhere and had ended up wandering the darkened streets until they had collapsed from sheer exhaustion and huddled together against the wall to sleep. Petey felt Max's wet nose touch his hair as he whined and nuzzled the top of the little boy's head. Bella's eyes were closed and she didn't seem to be waking anytime soon. Petey struggled to open the bottle of water they had scavenged and took a long drink when the cap finally popped off. He upended the bottle and held it over Max's mouth, letting the water trickle down the dog's throat. After he was done he looked at his sister again, he wished she would wake up.

"Bells?" He shook her arm but this did not rouse her. Petey felt panic flutter in his chest as he pushed on her harder, still nothing. "Bells, I scared." He told her as he moved her hair to one side and peered up at her face. There was still no response and when he touched her skin it was very cold. Petey heard Max whine beside him as his anxiety infected the dog too. Max nudged his head against Bella which only made hers slide to one side. Bella's eyes remained closed as she refused to wake up.

* * *

Later that day Charlie finally got the call he was waiting for, the Chevy had been spotted in Seattle, it was parked in a side street, the gas was empty and the keys had been found under the seat. There was no sign of his daughter or Petey. Charlie gathered his things together as he decided to travel up to the city himself and start searching. Before he left he called Billy and told him what he had learned. Billy had breathed a sigh of relief that there was finally some way forward. He asked Charlie if Jake and some of his friends could travel with him. Charlie hesitated only for a second before agreeing. He would need all the help he could get. "Tell Jake to meet me at the house." Billy told him that his son was on his way and wished him luck. "Thanks." Charlie ended the call grabbed the keys to his cruiser and left the station.

* * *

Jacob sat in the front next to Charlie while Embry and Paul sat in the back. Even though Charlie was already speeding to Jacob it felt like the cruiser was driving in slow motion. He was as desperate as Charlie, even more so, to get to Seattle and begin the search. Finally finding the Chevy seemed like a beacon of hope in the endless days filled with no news at all. Jacob couldn't even remember what he had done the last few days or even how he had managed to eat or sleep through the hours while Bella and Petey were missing. Guilt, worry, fear and anxiety had been his constant companions since the day he had learned they had taken off. When he glanced at Charlie's white face with its pinched expression and the dark circles underscoring his eyes, he knew that the older man had been suffering the same worries as him. Jacob had never felt so lost in his life and searching for Bella and her brother, trying to be pro-active had been the only things keeping him going. He had dropped his patrol duties and nearly had a fatal fight with Sam when his Alpha questioned why he was neglecting his role as a protector. Paul and Embry had to rip him away from the black wolf as Jacob saw red and frenziedly attacked him. Since then the two of them had been in a stand-off and avoided dealing directly with each other. A major fight was brewing between them, but for now Jacob's sole focus was on tracking Bella down. He had been touched by his friend's offer of help, and especially surprised when Paul was one of them. It seemed Lahote felt an affinity with the troubled little boy. Quil had not been able to come because he couldn't be away from his imprint, Claire, and Leah had been taking on extra patrol duties to cover Jacob's slack, so in the end it had been only Paul and Embry who had been able to accompany to him to Seattle.

During the journey nobody spoke, they were all focused silently on the task ahead. There was nothing anybody could say that was going to make the situation any better, until Bella and her brother were found; everyone felt it best to remain quiet for fear of jinxing the search.

* * *

It had been hours since Petey woke. Bella was still asleep, he had tried to rouse her but there was no response. Her normally pale skin had turned completely white, making her black eye stand out even more on her face. Petey had not left her side; he didn't know what to do. He raided the dumpsters for some left over food but couldn't find much. The bottle of water had run out and he was beginning to feel thirsty. Since the money had been stolen Bella had not been eating, any food that she found when straight to her brother or Max, and she was dangerously underweight and anaemic. Little Petey didn't understand any of this; all he knew was that his sister wasn't waking up and he was getting more scared and anxious as the hours passed. Without Max's calming presence he would have been a mess. The dog sensed Petey's agitation and he comforted the distressed little boy as well as he could. He wrapped his body around Petey to keep him warm as the weather took a turn for the worse and it began to rain.

* * *

As soon as they reached Seattle and found the abandoned Chevy, Charlie, Jacob and the others fanned out and began to search the areas nearby. Of course Jacob and his friends had their acute senses to help them, but it still wasn't easy to track Bella and Petey's scents amidst a city full of strong odours. They managed to follow the trail for a while but came to a point where it seemed the scents crossed over each other. Bella and Petey, including Max must have criss-crossed paths as they wandered the streets. Charlie was busy in conference with the local PD so Jacob, Embry and Paul split up and followed Bella and Petey's path as they travelled, this way they could cover more ground. They had their cell phones if any of them found anything.

Hours passed as they wandered around. The path Embry was following petered out and he couldn't find their scents again so he back tracked and called Jacob who told him to head back to the abandoned Chevy and see if he could find Charlie. Paul had no luck either, in fact he ended up bumping into Jacob as he trailed the man streets following Bella's scent which was very faint but was there. As each second, minute and hour passed Jacob was becoming more desperate; he had a gut feeling that something was wrong. By the look on Paul's face he could see that his pack brother was feeling the same thing. Seattle was a busy city and Jacob and Paul stood out as they jogged along the streets, they were head and shoulders above everybody they passed and their good looks and impressive physiques attracted a lot of attention. But they ignored the appreciative glances and curious stares as they carried on hunting. Jacob wished he could phase into his wolf form, his sense of smell would be even more heightened but that was not even an option, so he and Paul plodded on, searching every nook and cranny as they passed.

* * *

Petey was alarmed when he suddenly felt Max stiffen, and a low whine left his throat. His ears had perked up and his brown eyes were staring straight ahead as if he had spotted something that Petey couldn't see. The little boy nudged his sister, but Bella was still unresponsive, tears pricked at his eyes as he began to panic. "Bells…Bells….Bells…." He cried out. He felt Max nuzzle the top of his head but even his touch didn't soothe Petey's fears. "Wake up, Bells. Wake up." He pushed her again causing her chin to fall to her chest.

Suddenly Max got up on all fours and left him. Petey screamed as he tried to follow after the dog as he ran down the alley, barking at the top of his lungs. "Max…Max…" He called as he stumbled. Petey fell onto his hands and knees, grazing them on the wet ground. The rain plastered his spiky hair to his head and mingled with his tears as he began to cry in earnest. Petey scrambled back onto his feet and ran back to his sister's side and hid his head in her shoulder, clinging to her jacket and sobbing as if his heart would break.

In the distance he could still hear Max barking frenziedly. He heard low voices, but couldn't understand what was being said, and then suddenly the sound of booted feet thundering along the concrete startled Petey. He fearfully forced his head to turn as he looked wide eyed down the narrow alley. Then as if from a dream he saw someone he recognised. With Max bouncing up and down in front of the new arrival, barking loudly in delight, Petey saw Jacob and another male hunker down in front of him. With a small cry the little boy flung himself into Jacob's open arms and burst into tears of relief.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thanks for the kind reviews, Nikki. Tissue warning advised for this chapter! :'(**_

 **Part Ten**

"Bella, Bella can you open your eyes for me?" A woman's soft voice pierced the darkness. Bella moaned quietly before she forced her heavy eyelids to open. As soon as she did so she was blinded by the bright strip lights hovering above. She closed them again for a moment before trying again, this time making sure to blink until her sore eyes got used to the brightness. Above she could see a figure hovering over her, it was woman, and for a brief few seconds she thought it was her mother, Renee.

"Mom, where's Petey? Where's Petey?" Bella's voice sounded hoarse to her ears and her throat felt scratchy and dry. The woman smiled and produced a glass of water with a straw. She gently held it while Bella sipped on the straw, the cold water trickled down her throat, easing the dryness. "Mom, where's Petey?"

"I'm not your mom, sweetie. My name is Jane, I'm a nurse and you are in hospital." The woman replied, trying to keep her tone soothing.

Bella sat bolt upright and regretted it instantly as a sharp flash of pain dug into her skull like a knife. She inhaled deeply, staring at the nurse with wide, fear filled eyes. "Why am I here? Where's Petey? I don't…"

"Calm down Bella everything is fine. I can assure you Petey is being taken care of. Your dad is outside; shall I get him to come in now?" Jane the nurse smiled kindly and looked at Bella expectantly as she waited for an answer.

"My dad is here?" Bella swallowed thickly. "Which dad? I mean what is his name?" She felt nausea well up in her throat as she waited pensively for the nurse to respond.

The nurse appeared confused. "Um…Charles Swan, he is your father, isn't he?" She frowned and pursed her lips as she began to wonder if she had been told a lie.

Bella exhaled in relief. She didn't know why or how Charlie had found her, but the fact it was him and not….Bella stopped that train of thought, she needed to speak to Charlie and find out where Petey was. Worry made her brow furrow as she nodded at the nurse and watched anxiously as she left to get her father. A moment later Charlie burst into the room, his face awash with relief and moisture shining in his eyes as he looked upon his daughter sitting up in the hospital bed. He had been so worried for her, but thankfully with the proper care and attention she was awake and talking.

"Hey, kiddo." Charlie greeted her as he pulled up a chair and sat down by her side. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better." His eyes wandered over her thin frame and he blinked furiously to keep his emotions in check. He guessed that Bella wouldn't want to see him fall apart; she needed him to show strength and control.

"Where's Petey?" Bella asked straight away, her eyes were filled with agitation and she bit on her bottom lip which immediately began to bleed from the pressure. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine." Charlie assured her quickly. "Jake is keeping an eye on him."

His words caught Bella by surprise. Jacob was at the hospital too? How? "Jacob is here? I don't understand." She touched her head which was still aching and Charlie immediately offered her more of the water which she took gratefully.

"Yes, he was the one who found you and Petey along with one of his friends." Charlie hesitated for a moment as the memory of Bella's broken figure assaulted him. He had been frantic when he came across Jacob carrying a comatose Bella. Petey was being consoled by Paul while Max bounded by their sides. He tried to push his past fear away and returned his attention back to his daughter, she was malnourished, dehydrated and anaemic, but she was alive. "He found you just in time, Bella. Any longer…" He left the rest unsaid.

Guilt slammed into Bella like an iron fist as it finally sank in just what peril she had put not only herself but Petey through due to her rashness. She hadn't meant to place any of them in danger, but she had been scared, was still scared. She had been so determined to go it alone, so focused on trying to care for Petey herself and keep him from harm, but instead she had almost done the exact opposite. If they hadn't been found he could have….Bella closed her eyes and put her hands over them as she forced back the tears which were threatening to spill over. She was a bad person, useless. "I didn't mean…I never…" She stumbled over her words as she tried to regain control of herself. She felt so weary, so worn down. All her life she had tried to fight, tried to remain strong, but the fight was oozing from her as her soul shrivelled inside at the thought of what could have been.

"It's alright, kiddo." Charlie said softly. He was in bits watching his fragile daughter fall apart as she was faced with the enormity of the danger she had placed herself and Petey in. He sighed as he rubbed a hand over his face. He too felt weary and he hated the fact that he was going to have to push Bella when she was clearly still in a fragile state but events were conspiring against him and he had no choice. He waited patiently until Bella had calmed down and her breathing was less erratic. He so wanted to reach out a hand and take hers but he wasn't sure she would thank him for the contact. "Bella, I'm sorry I have to do this but we're running out of time." He blurted out.

Bella stiffened and looked at him in alarm. What did he mean by _running out of_ _time?_ Was something else wrong? Was Petey hurt after all? She began to panic as she waited for him to continue. He had a pained expression on his face as if he was internally berating himself for whatever it was he had to say. "Just say it." Bella choked out, she felt the blood pool into her mouth from the cut on her lip as she sawed at it with her teeth. "Is something wrong with Petey?"

"He is fine, kiddo, honestly." Charlie interjected quickly when he saw the panic setting in. "But what I am about to tell you concerns him." He sighed heavily and put his hands on his knees as he leaned forward. Bella looked as if she was barely holding on, and once again he cursed inside that he had to force the issue, but he was being left with little choice. "Jake is with Petey keeping an eye on him, but there is also a social worker there too. They were called in by the hospital when you were brought in. its standard procedure and I couldn't put a stop to it." Frustration was clear in his tone as he continued, he couldn't bear to look directly at Bella as he spoke, and it was too painful to see her devastated expression. "The upshot is because of your…your condition and the fact that they feel that you placed a minor in danger they are petitioning to have him taken into care unless…unless…." He paused again. Now this was the difficult bit. He finally raised his head and gazed into his daughter's fearful eyes. Her face had turned completely white as she absorbed what he was telling her. "I'm so sorry, kiddo. They want to know who his parents are, they want to know where Renee is and…and the father." He said the last words almost in whisper.

Bella stared at him with her huge, haunted brown eyes. Blood was trickling down her chin from the cut on her lip and her hands had begun to shake. She didn't speak as she tried to push away the dark memories which were beginning to infect her mind.

Charlie ploughed on, he really had no choice but to push, Petey's future welfare was at stake, if he didn't get an answer from her then they were going to lose him. "Bella, I have put in an emergency application to become Petey's short term guardian, but they won't entertain it as they assume I am not a blood relative, but I don't think that's true is it?" He watched as Bella literally trembled from head to toe, she seemed on the verge of collapse again, her teeth bit down on her lip hard causing more blood to dribble from the cut. "I don't like doing this, but I need to know…" he hesitated as he finally dared ask the killer question. "Are you Petey's mother, kiddo? Is he my grandson?"

Bella exhaled sharply as if she had been dealt a physical blow. Her hands clawed at the material of the gown she was wearing. She was losing control, she had only been able to hang on and continue to exist as long as she was allowed to carry on with the lie. It had been her way of coping and now it was going to be ripped from her, her emotional failsafe was torn asunder, she couldn't hide anymore. She stared into her father's eyes and blinked once, twice, before a lone tear streaked down her cheek. It glinted in the bright light before falling onto the back of one of her hands. Seeing it gave Charlie all the answer he needed. Unconsciously he reached out and dared to take Bella's hand in his own, he gripped it tightly, half expecting her to yank hers away, but after a long moment he felt her return the pressure.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading! :'(**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part Eleven**

Bella sat outside on the porch swing as she watched her father play ball with Petey. Max ran between them, barking frenziedly as he joined in. The sun was out for a change and Bella absorbed the rare warmth while she rested. She was still feeling weak; she had been home from the hospital for a week and was recuperating under the watchful eyes of Charlie. He had taken a few weeks of vacation from work, he was owed quite a lot of holiday and he used this time to take care of his daughter and her brother. His application to become Petey's temporary guardian had been accepted and he was now in charge of the little boy's welfare. Bella had thought she would feel anxious that she was no longer the one solely responsible for Petey but in fact it had lightened her burden a little. She would be forever grateful to the father she barely knew for stepping up and rescuing her from a dark place where she had been living for so long. Admitting the truth about Petey's parentage, even if it was just between her and Charlie had been a cathartic moment. Bella still couldn't express herself verbally about it but just the unspoken fact that someone else knew was enough. Of course the social services had needed proof, a DNA test had confirmed what they needed to know and subsequently they had allowed the guardianship to progress, with careful monitoring by them from a distance.

A slight breeze ruffled Bella's hair and she pulled her blanket up further around her, she smiled when she heard Petey laugh. Max had run off with the ball and punctured it with his sharp teeth. Petey and Charlie ran after the dog as he bounded around the back garden. For an old hound, Max could still run fast. Bella turned her attention away from the drama in front of her and focused instead on the letter that Jacob had given her. She had only seen him briefly at the hospital as he made a short visit just so he could see with his own eyes that she was well on the road to recovery. Bella had tried to thank him but he had waved her gratitude away with a shrug and a small smile. They spoke for a few moments before Jacob had passed the letter to her and asked her to read it, he told her he would wait until she contacted him if she still wanted to. Bella thought how vulnerable he looked when he said it. He was so well built and appeared older than he was, and it made her forget there was a heart of a teenage boy underneath the muscle mass. She had agreed to read the letter and then Jacob had left. She hadn't seen him since. He had kept away just like he said he would.

Bella pulled the letter out and began to read it again, although she knew every word that he had written,

 _Hey Bella,_

 _Yeah it's me, Jake. Of course you know it's from me. Jeez, I am not really good at baring my soul on paper but my dad; yeah I know I'm taking advice from the old man, not a thing I should really admit to, huh? Sorry I'm going off topic, well here goes. I'M VERY SORRY, BELLA. VERY, VERY SORRY! See I put it in capitals and everything just so you know I really, really am, sorry that is. I really am sorry. Yeah, you get the drift._

 _I confess I took you to the bonfire party because of my own selfish reasons, I didn't know at the time but my old man kind of clarified that point to me too. Jeez, you must think I am so dumb. Do I have a brain? I'm not sure, well especially when I'm around you, I just can't seem to think straight. Sorry I'm wandering off the point again, aren't I?_

 _I am really not making myself clear am I? Bella I like you, there I said it, or wrote it? Same thing I suppose. Anyway what I am trying to say in my own bumbling Jacob very uncool Black way is that I like you and I hope that one day you might like me too? Hopefully? As a friend? Maybe? Perhaps? I would very much like to spend time with you and if you would like that too, then AWESOME! So I'll wait for you to call me?_

 _That's it I guess. I'm not going to read this back because I don't want to know how much of an ass I really sound like!_

 _Yours,_

 _Jake_

Bella didn't even realise she was smiling as she came to the end of the letter and folded it up so she could put it back in her pocket. He really was very sweet and she owed him, she owed him big time, not just for showing her and Petey kindness in the first place, but for finding them for a second time and saving both of their lives. Bella didn't trust people period. She had lived by the motto _; trust no one_ , for most of her life. She had been forced to grow up at a very young age, had seen the dark side of human nature before she was even a young teen. So far she had never witnessed the best, the good in people, not until now anyway. Perhaps it was time to allow herself be a little less wary? Bella's smile widened when she heard Petey laugh again, he had managed to save the deflated ball from Max and was waving it in the air as if he had just won a medal. He called her name and Bella waved at him from her perch on the porch swing. For the first time in forever she could admit to herself that in that moment she felt happy.

* * *

"Call for you Jake." Billy hollered.

"Who is it?" Jacob called back. There was only one person he wanted to hear from and so far there had been radio silence as far as Bella was concerned. He had begun to think he had blown it, that the stupid letter he had sent her had done the opposite of what he had intended it to do. He couldn't blame her, he must have come across like an idiot, and anyway she had more important things to deal with, like recovering from her near death experience. The last thing she would want to think about was him and his…

"It's Bella." Billy rolled his eyes as he saw his son dash out of his room in record time and wrench the phone out of his hand. "Hey!" He protested irritably. "Watch it."

Jacob just glared at him as he turned away; holding the phone to his ear as if it was a precious object. "Hello, it's me. I'm here." He said breathlessly and winced. Jeez he sounded so desperate; of course she knew he was there, what a tool!

"Hi."

"Hi."

There was a long pause and for a moment Jacob wondered if he had been cut off. He tapped the side of the phone with his fingers to make sure. "What was that noise?" Bella suddenly asked.

"Noise?"

"Yeah, it sounded like um…banging…um …from your end."

"It did?"

"Yeah."

"Oh that was just my dad." Jacob narrowed his eyes at his dad as Billy began to protest. He put his hand over the mouthpiece so Bella couldn't hear him whisper to his annoying parent. Why was Billy hovering next to him, eavesdropping? "You can go now."

"What was that?" Bella asked.

"Oh nothing." Jacob glared at Billy again but the older man just smiled slyly at him and remained where he was. Jacob shuffled away from him until he had stretched the cord as far as it would go, and it was still too close for Jacob's liking.

"Are you still there?" Bella questioned. "Um…because if you're busy I can always…"

"No, I'm not busy, not at all. Jacob Black at your service, mam." Jacob heard Billy snort with laughter and he felt his face heat up. His old man was so dead.

"Right." Bella sounded confused. Jacob groaned internally, she must think he was insane. "Um…so…um…I read your letter…."

"I'm sorry." Jacob interjected swiftly. "I'm so sorry for writing it."

"Why? It was kinda nice. You write how you speak." That was laughter in her tone, wasn't it? Jacob grinned and then saw Billy smirking, he glared at his father again and stepped back, pulling the cord too tight and sending the phone tumbling to the floor. Bella heard muffled cursing and laughter. "Hello? Are you there?"

"I'm here, Bells. I'm still here." Jacob said hurriedly as he righted the phone and turned away from his dad who was wheezing with laughter.

"Bells? Only Petey has ever called me Bells." Bella said softly.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to…."

"No, that's fine. You can call me, Bells. I mean we are…um…friends…right?"

Jacob could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest, he was certain it was going to explode with happiness. He was losing it, he really was. If he melted into a pile of goo just because she let him call her Bells, what would he be like if she smiled at him or let him hold her hand? Billy was still laughing but Jacob ignored his annoying parent and allowed himself to bask in the happy feeling.

"Jacob, are you there?" Bella asked tentatively again.

Oh god, he had forgotten to answer her. "Yes, I'm here and yes we are most definitely friends." He blurted out.

"Okay, um…cool. So….would you and Billy like to come to dinner soon? I'm feeling rested now and I would like to cook you both something, you know to say thank you and everything." Bella offered.

"I would love to…I mean we would love to." Jacob closed his eyes in mortification. What was wrong with him? He sounded like such a butt head. He bet Bella was regretting ever ringing, but it seemed the spirits were smiling on him as she told him she would ring him with a firm date before ending the call. Jacob stared at the phone as if it had magic powers before putting it carefully back in its cradle. "Not one word, old man." Jacob warned Billy as he sailed past him and back to his room as if he was floating on air.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading! A lighter chapter. Jeez, I needed to write one! :)**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 **Part Twelve**

 _ **One year later;**_

Time went faster than Bella could ever have imagined, it was nearly September again and soon she would turn nineteen. Had she and Petey really lived with Charlie for just over a year? The months had flown by, months of peace and tranquillity. Bella was slowly beginning to believe that life could be good and that she could feel safe enough to trust that perhaps she and her brother had suffered enough and now it was their chance to bloom under the sun. Like a flower that had been starved of light to grow, Bella blossomed under the care and attention from her father and the close friendship she had made with Jacob and also Leah Clearwater. The first time she had invited Jacob and Billy to dinner had turned into such a success it had become a weekly occurrence, she loved dreaming up new recipes to impress them with and adored seeing the looks on their faces when she served up her latest masterpiece. Bella had found she had a real talent for cooking and was beginning to make tentative plans toward making a future living out of it. She had never graduated high school and so had been doing an on-line course for the last year to catch up on the schooling she had missed. Petey was in kindergarten and had already made a group of friends.

Bella was due to meet up with Jacob; they were heading to the cinema to watch the latest blockbuster. This wasn't their first trip out alone, over the past few weeks they had been spending more time together and it was now well known among their family and friends that they were unofficially dating, no one who saw them together could think otherwise. Both of them had not said it out loud but Bella had relaxed enough in Jacob's company to consider moving their friendship toward something more intimate, even though she was still apprehensive about getting closer to him physically, but she knew Jacob well enough that she trusted he wouldn't pressure her in any shape or form. He had been an absolute sweetheart over the last year, he had let her set the pace and slowly over time, the walls she had built around herself began to crumble as she allowed herself to let others in. Bella felt relaxed enough to hold hands with him when they were out together, this had been a big step forward for her considering how much she hated being touched, but feeling his warm fingers curl around hers as they strolled side by side and watching the happy smile he threw her way buoyed her up considerably, this was how it should be, the butterflies she experienced when he turned up at the door were testament to that. She had only ever read about that feeling in books and never believed it was real, but she felt it now every time she saw him. To Bella it was like she was starting again, she wanted the past to stay firmly locked away in the darkest recesses of her heart, she didn't want anything to tarnish the fragile happiness she had found in Forks.

* * *

"You look nice." Jacob grinned at her when she opened the door. Billy snorted with laughter when he saw the goofy expression on his son's face. Bella blushed and Jacob shot his father a glare, which Billy ignored completely as he rolled his chair into the house. "Sorry about the old man." Jacob sighed.

"I think I'm used to his teasing by now." Bella felt the butterflies kick off in her stomach as Jacob gave her that special look, the one that made her feel as if they were the only two people in the world.

"You do look nice, Bells." Jacob said again, keeping his voice low so his father wouldn't hear. "Really pretty."

In the past Bella would have shrugged off such a compliment and made a sarcastic comment but instead she fiddled nervously with the hem of her shirt and smiled shyly. "Thanks. You look great too. Nice shades." She gestured toward the sunglasses perched on his head.

"Jeez, I forgot about those." He chuckled and held out his hand toward her. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I just want to say goodbye to Petey, he's full of beans so expect Billy to be worn out when we get back, Charlie is already done in from entertaining him all day." Bella took Jacob's hand and towed him inside the house so they could say their goodbyes. Petey promptly ran over to his sister and grabbed hold of her legs, Max his ever present shadow, bounded after him. "You behave Petey." Bella warned him in a mock stern voice.

"I will." Petey took her seriously as Bella bent down and hugged him, kissing the top of his spikey hair before letting go. A rush of love consumed her as she looked at his eager face and she had to blink back the tears lest he see them and become anxious.

"Don't worry, Bella. We'll wear the little guy out." Billy promised as he winked at Petey.

"Speak for yourself." Charlie was sitting in his recliner, fanning himself with a newspaper. He had been playing tag with Petey and was worn out chasing him.

"You're just getting old, Chief." Billy teased him.

Charlie rolled his eyes as he turned his attention to his daughter and Jacob; he sat up straighter in the recliner and locked eyes with Jacob. "You know the rules son." He warned him. Jacob nodded; this was the same speech he got every time he took Bella out alone. "Keep your hands where they should be, open the doors for the lady and make sure you pay." He smiled suddenly as his eyes twinkled. He was only joking. He loved seeing his daughter so relaxed and happy; at one point he would never have envisioned she would recover enough to date anyone. She had overcome a lot of her fears but it was also Jacob's diligence and patience that had allowed his daughter to feel secure enough to even entertain a relationship. Charlie trusted Jacob implicitly. "Well have fun." He waved them away.

Jacob took Bella's hand again and her cheeks turned rosy. He leaned down and ruffled Petey's hair. "Look after the old men, Petey. Keep them in line if they get too excitable."

"Ay, ay Captain." Petey saluted him and giggled as he tore off and launched himself onto Billy's lap. "Tell me about the wolves." He begged. He had become obsessed with the stories about the spirit wolves, and Billy enjoyed having a captive audience for his stories.

Jacob and Bella bid them goodbye and finally left to head to the cinema.

* * *

The film had been awful; Jacob and Bella had spent most of the movie laughing at the implausible plot lines and the corny one liner's the main stars threw at each other. Jacob had eaten a whole bucket of popcorn to himself astonishing Bella as she wondered where the hell he put it all. She teased him about getting a paunch as she pointed to his rock hard abs. They were in a cheerful mood as they came out and wandered into the foyer of the cinema. "I just have to visit the little boy's room." Jacob told her. "Will you be alright here for a moment?"

"Yeah, go on." Bella smiled as she watched him hurry off to the toilets. When he was gone she stood near the entrance to the cinema and read about the upcoming features, there was a new comedy she wouldn't mind seeing, but then again the film she had just watched was more like a comedy than an action movie, it had been that awful you had to laugh. She was so absorbed in what she was reading that she didn't notice that she had attracted the attention of a group of guys. It was only when one of them whistled at her that she turned around to look.

"Hey, darling, wanna join us? We're heading out to a club." The main ringleader, who could have been about eighteen or nineteen, came up close and flung an arm around Bella's shoulders before she had a chance to evade him. All her old fears sprang up at once as he invaded her personal space, she began to panic as her eyes roamed around, looking for an escape route.

"Let go of me." She hissed at the guy as she tried to push him off.

"There's no need to be a prude." The guy's friends had swarmed around her, effectively cutting off any chance of slipping past them. Bella felt her heart rate kick up, it thundered in her ears as old memories began to invade her brain. "Come on." The guy leered. "A hottie like you shouldn't…"

"Get the fuck away from her or I'll break your face." Bella exhaled deeply as she heard Jacob's voice. He shoved his way easily past the men and grabbed hold of the guy's arm, swiftly twisting it around so it was at a painful angle. The guy cried out in pain as Jacob just as quickly let go. "Touch her or any other person like that again without their permission and I'll do more than twist your arm, asshole. I'll break it." Jacob's face was a mask of anger as he caught Bella's shaking hand in his and gently tugged her out into the fresh air.

As soon as they were outside Bella breathed in deeply. She felt better now that Jacob was there but the incident had reminded her just how vulnerable she was alone. A tear rolled down her cheek as she tried to regain control of herself. She had been so happy but now that was all spoiled again as all her old fears and anxieties built up in her stomach and chased away the butterflies leaving her stomach feeling as if it was lined with lead.

"Bells, are you okay?" Jacob ducked his head so he could look into her eyes. He felt sad when he saw the fear reflected in hers. He wanted to go back inside and pound those guys into the dirt for what they had done, but he knew the last thing Bella needed to see was him losing it. She had seen enough violence in her life from the little bits of information she had let slip over the last year. She had still not confided very much about her past, and he didn't push, he just hoped she would feel comfortable enough to tell him when she felt ready. "Come on, let's go home." He said gently as he rubbed the back of her hand with his warm fingers.

Bella bit down hard on her bottom lip and nodded. This place was tainted for her now; she knew she would never come back and see a film here again.

* * *

"How are you doing this?" Billy said in wonder as Petey beat him and Charlie yet again at cards.

Petey grinned at the two men as he yelled snap for the hundredth time. "I'm clever." He boasted.

"You sure are, buddy. I'm glad we're not playing for cash." Charlie shook his head in amusement as he dealt another set of cards. Before he had finished there was a knock at the door. He frowned and exchanged a bemused look with Billy. He wasn't expecting anyone. He sighed and got up. "I won't be a moment. You keep any eye on the little card shark." He said to Billy as he left to answer the door.

It was dark outside as evening was drawing in, Charlie opened the door and was astonished to find a cop on his doorstep. It wasn't someone he recognised and it took his eyes a moment to notice the badge on the man's jacket. "Chief Swan?" The cop asked as he stepped forward a little. He tipped his hat deferentially as he looked toward Charlie. "My name's Phil Turner, I work for the Phoenix PD." He held out his hand but Charlie made no move to shake it.

"Why are you here?" Charlie demanded coldly. He looked the officer up and down assessing him carefully. He looked about thirty, maybe slightly older; it was hard to tell in the dim light from the hall.

Phil Turner dropped his hand back to his side and hoisted his gun belt higher around his waist. "I am here on official business, sir." The _sir_ had a sarcastic tone to it which immediately put Charlie's back up.

"And you came to my home and not to the station?" Charlie said suspiciously. "A bit far out of your way, aren't you? I ask you again, why are you here?"

"I hardly wanted to parade your personal business at the station, sir." Phil retorted, his dark brown eyes appeared cold as he took up a rigid stance.

"Personal business?" Charlie questioned, he eased the door closer to him as if putting a shield between himself and his late night visitor.

"I understand you have one Isabella Marie residing with you and she has a little boy with her." Phil pushed his wide brimmed hat back a little on his head and eyed Charlie with his cold eyes.

"What the fuck do you want with my daughter?" Charlie scowled as he leaned forward meeting Phil's cool stare with his own. Before anymore could be said the sound of running feet padding along the wooden floor could be heard, followed by the trundling of Billy's chair as he steered it.

Petey suddenly darted to Charlie's side, an excited smile on his face. Billy laughed as he caught the child up. "He beat me again, Chief. You about done here…." He paused when he noticed who the visitor was. His face paled under his tan skin as he darted a glance to Charlie. But it was Petey's reaction which startled them both; his happy expression disappeared to be replaced with one of absolute horror as he began to tremble from head to foot.

Phil Turner hunkered down to Petey's level and looked at him levelly; his voice was friendly but his eyes were ice cold as he spoke to the terrified little boy. "Hello, Peter."

Charlie saw the terrified look on the child's face and by the expression on Billy's he guessed that his oldest friend was thinking the same thing as he was. This was Petey's biological father. A cold rage rippled through Charlie as he pulled Petey back and gently pushed him toward Billy. "Go into the other room with Billy now, kiddo." He said in a low voice, trying to keep his tone calm so as not to alarm the frightened child further. He gave Billy a meaningful glance. He saw Billy nod discreetly as he picked Petey up and put him on his lap before steering his chair back into the front room.

Phil Turner stood back up; his hand strayed to his gun belt and pulled the clip back. "This could have all been done in a civilised manner, Chief Swan." He sneered as he suddenly jerked his gun from its holster and pointed it at Charlie's head.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part Thirteen**

Billy held Petey's hands as the little boy looked at him with fear in his eyes. Billy wanted to hug the child and assure him that everything was going to be alright, but time was of the essence. "Petey, you believe the stories I told you about the spirit wolves, don't you?"

The little boy nodded at him. "I believe." He whispered.

"Good lad. Now I need you to be a brave little boy, can you be that for me?" Billy held Petey's hand's tightly as the little boy nodded slowly. "That's great, because I need you to go and find the wolves and tell them that we have an unwelcome guest in the house."

"But where?" Petey's eyes became huge as he gazed at Billy with utter trust. The older man had to blink back tears, this boy who had been through so much, was still fighting, and still trying his best to be brave.

"I am going to open the window now, and I need you to climb through. It's not a far drop to the ground, than I need you to run as fast as you can into the back garden and toward the trees at the end. The wolves are there, just call out for them and they will come. Alright?" Billy gave in and hugged Petey who was breathing deeply, trying to stay strong and memorise what Billy had told him to do.

"Can't you come?" Petey asked innocently.

"I wish I could little one, but I can't get out of this chair." Billy gestured to his wheelchair as he smiled sadly at the little boy. "Now are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Petey promised solemnly.

Billy hugged him again before steering his chair toward the window and leaning forward to open it. He then used his strong arms to hoist Petey on the windowsill and then carefully helped him climb through the gap. Petey was quite an agile boy and he had no trouble slipping through and jumping the short distance to the ground. Billy gave him the thumbs up sign when he saw the little boy look back for reassurance before watching him sprint off around the side of the house. It was just in time because seconds later Charlie came into the room followed by the cop, and he was pointing the gun right at the back of his best friend's skull.

* * *

Petey had never run so fast in his life. His breath came in short pants as he fled down the full length of the garden and disappeared into the trees. The enveloping darkness of the forest didn't scare him, he was focused on his task and he didn't want to let Billy down. What had Billy said _? Call to them and they will come!_ Petey put his hands around his mouth and began to shout at the top of his voice. "Wolves help. Help, wolves!" He kept yelling over and over until a few moments later he heard rustling in the undergrowth and right before his five year old eyes the largest wolf he had ever seen; its grey fur making it almost hard to distinguish him in the dark night appeared before him. It was true, it was all true. He stared at the majestic creature for a few seconds before he remembered that Billy had told him to tell the wolf about the unwelcome guest. "Bad man, bad man in the house. Help." He blurted out. "Please help!" The wolf seemed to understand his every word as it melted back into the trees for a moment and a little later a man he recognised emerged. It was Paul Lahote, the one who had helped rescue him in Seattle.

* * *

"Where's the boy?" Phil snarled as he pressed the gun to the back of Charlie's head.

Charlie looked at Billy who moved his eyes in the direction of the open window. A relieved expression crossed Charlie's face. Whatever happened now, the little boy was safe and out of the way.

"I said where is the boy?" Phil demanded again.

Charlie laughed sarcastically. "Somewhere you can't hurt him or my daughter again you vile scumbag." He suddenly twisted around and lunged for the gun.

* * *

Paul Lahote, who had left Petey safely hidden within the trees while he headed to the house, had just reached the back door when he heard a gunshot ring out in the air.

* * *

Jacob was doing his best to console Bella. It saddened him to see her so distraught over what those damn fools had done. He should never have left her, but then again he couldn't be with her every moment of every day, nor could anyone else. Bella needed to feel strong in herself again. He doubted the idiots who had approached her in the cinema foyer would have done anything, it was a crowded place and they had been showing off to a pretty girl. But just being surrounded by them had made Bella feel vulnerable and helpless. "You should think about doing self-defence classes, Bells." He suggested as he parked up in the road near the Swan house. He couldn't pull in the drive as there was another cruiser parked up behind Charlie's. He switched off the engine and turned to glance at Bella, only to find her face had turned completely white and she looked as if she was going to be sick. "Bells? What is it?"

"It's his car….it's his car….." Bella suddenly jolted to life and fumbled with the door handle as she tried to get out.

"Bells, calm down. It's another cop's cruiser; it must be one of your dad's…." Jacob reached across and caught her hand as she clawed at the door in her panic.

"It's not." She screamed at him as she shoved his hand away. "It's his, it's his….oh my god, Petey. This is all my fault. I should never have stayed here. He was always going to track us down. The missing posters…the police records…he would have been monitoring them. I didn't think…I didn't…." She finally managed to open the door and began to run toward the front porch. Jacob, having no idea what she meant, climbed out swiftly and ran after her. It was only when he reached her that they both heard the sound of a gunshot.

 _ **A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thanks for the kind reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Part Fourteen**

"Bells, stay outside." Jacob warned her as he took her keys and opened the door. Bella stared at him, her eyes were flicking side to side and he could see her hands were shaking. She looked on the verge of losing it. He needed her to stay out of harm's way while he dealt with what was happening inside. "Promise me, Bella?" He begged her one last time. "Stay out here." He saw her nod imperceptibly. He sighed, this would have to do. With one last glance at her he hurried inside, closing the door firmly behind him.

As soon as he was out of sight Bella fled down the porch steps and around to the back of the house. She knew Charlie's hunting rifle was in the shed, loaded and ready for his next hunting trip with Harry Clearwater. With a grim expression on her face and her heart thundering in her ears, she went inside the shed and grabbed it.

* * *

Jacob was dreading what he might find inside and he braced himself for the worst as he headed to the front room. He crept silently forward, his whole body tense and alert, as he prepared to fight. He listened intently but all he could pick up was the heavy sound of breathing. There was no scuffling, no more sound of gun shots; it was then that he picked up Paul's scent. Lahote wad here? He sprinted into the room to find his father sitting calmly in his chair looking upon the men in front of him. Jacob felt immediate relief that his father was alright and it seemed the others too. He spun around and saw that Charlie was in the midst of cuffing the interloper. Paul had his hand pressed on the intruder's windpipe, effectively stopping him talking. A hole in the ceiling above showed where the stray gunshot had ended up.

"Everyone alright?" Jacob asked, even though he could see with his own eyes that they were fine. His eyes roamed the room for Bella's brother. "Where's Petey?"

"He's safe, don't worry." Paul informed him, his eyes were hard as he pressed harder on Phil's throat. "He's a brave kid, unlike this piece of shit here."

"Where's Bella?" Charlie ignored Phil's groans as he tried to breathe under the relentless pressure from Paul's grip. "I don't want her to see this scumbag until I've locked him up." He shot Phil a dark glare, a huge part of him wanted to kill the bastard, but how would that help Bella or Petey if he was locked up for manslaughter, no matter how justified.

"She's waiting out front. We heard the gun go off." Jacob exhaled as he glared over at the man who was now turning a deep shade of purple. "Is this who I think it is?"

"Yes." Billy replied, he rolled his chair forward until he was next to his son. He could see the tremors beginning to ripple along Jacob's arms; he was on the verge of phasing. His protective nature was coming to the fore and his wolf was demanding that he kill the scum in front of him. "We need to let the law deal with this, son." He continued quietly.

Jacob gritted his teeth as he battled his wolf. He didn't know the full story still but this asshole had hurt his Bella and her innocent little brother. He deserved to die. His eyes flicked to Paul, he could see his pack brother was straining not to end the man's life. He admired the fact that he had been able to keep his cool so far, Lahote was not known for his calm temperament, but then perhaps they had all grown up a lot lately. "Need help getting him in the back of the cruiser, Charlie?" He spat out.

"Yeah, I think we might make the journey as painful as possible." Charlie was barely holding it together himself. He suddenly turned and punched Phil in the face. His breath exploded out of his body and he jack knifed as Paul let him drop to the floor like a stone. Blood spurted from Phil's mouth and he lost his two front teeth. Charlie stared down at him, his face a mask of hatred; he couldn't believe that the man who had molested his daughter and hurt his innocent little grandson was a cop too. It sickened him. Now he understood why Bella had been so ambivalent when she first stayed with him and ran off at the first opportunity. It was testament to her courage that she had managed to overcome the fact that her real father was a cop too.

They were all so absorbed with dealing with Phil that none of them were aware that Bella had snuck into the house through the open back door. The first Jacob knew was when her scent wafted his way. He swiftly went to stop her coming into the room but it was too late. Bella stood in the doorway, Charlie's hunting rifle was clutched tightly in her hands.

"Bells, it's fine, everything is under control." Jacob said quickly as he held out his hands to take the gun from her. Bella jerked away from him as she turned her gaze onto Phil's broken figure. An indefinable expression crossed her face as she stared at her tormentor. "Bells…" Jake said again.

"NO." Bella snapped.

"Listen to him, kiddo." Charlie edged toward her; he was worried the rifle would go off accidentally. His daughter was shaking, whether with fear or anger it was hard to tell. "He can't hurt you or Petey anymore."

"NO." Bella said again as she clutched the rifle tighter. She stepped toward Phil who was trying to scramble back onto his feet. He was finding it difficult as his hands were cuffed behind him. No one helped and he slid in his own blood which had pooled on the floor from where Charlie had hit him. He managed to right himself and he got up on one knee. All the while his eyes were trained on Bella. He did not say one word as he continued to stare at her as if trying with the force of his cold eyes to frighten her.

"Get him out of here." Charlie interjected as he indicated for Jacob to grab hold of Phil and haul him out.

"NO." Bella's voice sounded loud in the silent room. She got in Jacob's way as he tried to get hold of Phil. She gave him a meaningful look, her eyes had a fierce light burning in them and suddenly Jacob guessed she needed to do this, she needed to confront Phil on her own terms, otherwise the past memories of what he had put her through would remain with her forever and keep her locked in that world of a frightened child. He stepped back, though he kept a wary eye out in case of any trouble. He could see by the look on Paul's face that his pack brother felt the same as did Billy. It was only Charlie who appeared ambivalent.

"Put the gun down, Bella." Charlie pleaded with her.

"No." Bella's voice was calmer now. She twisted around so she didn't have to see her father's worried face, she needed to keep her resolve intact. Shoving the rifle under Phil's chin she ground it into the skin of his throat making him wince. "GET UP!" She hissed.

Phil stumbled but he complied as she jutted the gun further into his windpipe. He still kept his eyes on her the whole time, his posture was rigid and slowly a sardonic smile crossed his hardened features. He mumbled the word _coward_ , and choked violently when Bella rammed the nozzle of the gun hard into his throat. He coughed and spluttered violently.

"Speak one more word and I'll shoot, don't think I won't." Bella spat at him.

Phil sneered at her when he had recovered himself. Charlie went to his daughter but Jacob stopped him, shaking his head meaningfully. Bella had to do this, he knew Charlie just wanted to protect her but this was Bella's fight and she needed to do it alone.

Bella ran the muzzle of the gun down Phil's throat and pressed it into his heart. "I always wondered where it would hurt most. Here?" She pressed harder before raising the gun and jamming it into Phil's brow. "Here?" She said louder before dropping the rifle and aiming for his crotch. "Or perhaps where it matters to you most? HERE!" Her finger connected with the trigger and she pulled it back. She saw Phil's face whiten as he waited for the bullet to hit his extremities. There was a click but nothing happened, the gun wasn't loaded.

"My god, he's pissed himself." Paul laughed darkly as the smell of piss filled the room.

Bella smiled in satisfaction before she quickly reversed the rifle and used the butt of it to ram Phil in the groin. He groaned in agony as he collapsed to the floor in a heap. "I am done." The smile left her face and she passed the gun to Charlie who immediately chucked it on the floor and pulled his daughter into a bone crushing hug. He had always been wary of doing so before but now he couldn't stop himself. Bella stiffened for a moment before allowing him to hold her. After a moment she stepped back. "Please, can you get Petey now?" She begged.

"I'll go." Paul smiled at her before disappearing out of the room.

"Let's get him locked up." Charlie touched his daughter's cheek for a moment before he and Jacob hauled a groaning Phil to his feet and dragged him out of the house.

Bella was left alone with Billy. She collapsed onto the sofa as all her bravery suddenly deserted her and the enormity of what had just happened hit her like a freight train. She put her hands over her face and began to sob hysterically. Billy rolled his chair over to her and put a gentle hand on her shaking shoulder. "You did well, Bella Swan. You did well." He said huskily.

 ** _A/N-thanks for reading!_**


	16. Chapter 16

**Rising Sun**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

 _ **A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews, Nikki.**_

 **Epilogue**

Despite the upheaval and the traumatic events that led up to Phil Turner's arrest, life carried on in its own way. It wasn't easy for Bella in the first few days after her tormentor was put away, for one thing she had no choice but to open up about what he had done to her and that he was in fact Petey's biological father. At first Phil denied everything, but a simple DNA test proved Petey's true parentage beyond a sliver of doubt, then there was the matter of what had happened to Renee. Bella had fled with Petey when her mother had gone missing. She had come home to find that the house was a wreck, as if some kind of fight had taken place. She had frantically tried to contact her mother but got no answer. Without Renee to hide behind Bella knew she couldn't stay in the house where she and Petey had been abused for years by their stepfather, but in the end that had turned out to be a lie, they were never officially married at all. This was a shock to Bella and just another thing that rocked her already fragile world. If it hadn't been for the care and attention from Charlie and her close friends she might have gone under, but they wouldn't allow her to, and after a few weeks had passed, and the knowledge that Phil could no longer contest what he had done to her and his son, she relaxed. Her greatest fear had been having to face her tormentor in court and be forced to explain what had been done to her, but thankfully to get a lighter sentence he had pled guilty. As for Renee she was deemed a missing person.

Bella had opened up to Jacob about her past, she had not gone into details, but had given him a general idea of the extent of abuse she had suffered. She hadn't been able to look at him as she spoke as she felt dirty and ashamed. She confessed that she had no idea that she was pregnant at first, in that respect she had been very naïve, it was only when her abdomen began to expand and she felt something moving inside that Renee had finally noticed. Her mother had been horrified and stricken that her young daughter was pregnant. Bella finally confided in Renee about what had been going on with Phil but her mother had refused to believe her, instead insisting she was trying to break up the family they had created. Renee hatched a plan to pretend that the baby was hers and not Bella's. Bella was hidden away and made to give birth at home with only her mother for assistance. The whole thing had been frightening and surreal, and Bella had been so traumatised by the whole thing that she had willingly gone along with the whole charade. She had managed to convince herself that the little boy she had come to love was in fact her brother and successfully blocked out that she had given birth to him for years, it was her only way of coping.

Jacob had listened in silence as it all came tumbling out, he didn't interrupt or ask questions, but just held her hand until she was finished. "Does this change how you feel about me?" Bella had whispered, still unable to raise her eyes to him.

"Never, I love you more than ever. You are the bravest person I know." Jacob had gently cupped her chin in his hand and raised her head so he could see her properly. It about broke his heart to witness the pain in Bella's beautiful brown eyes. He so wanted to make it all go away, but only time could do that.

"You mean it? You love me?" Bella was having trouble believing that this kind, handsome boy could really be in love with her, but he had said it, it had just naturally tumbled out of his mouth and when she allowed herself to look into his dark eyes, she could see the love there, shining bright and true. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she dared to lean forward and peck his lips with her own. The surprise on his face made her laugh nervously, this was such a big step for Bella, but she had come to trust Jacob implicitly. "Sorry."

"Don't ever be sorry for that." Jacob grinned at her as he carefully inclined his head toward hers and kissed her softly.

* * *

 _ **One year later;**_

It had taken a long time for Bella to write the letter to Petey. It had been Charlie's idea. Someday the little boy would have to be told of his true relationship to Bella, but for the immediate future she would remain his sister. Charlie was now Petey's permanent guardian. Bella thought it would be difficult to write the letter to her son, but when she put pen to paper the words flowed onto the page. She never showed the letter to anyone when it was finished, instead she sealed it up and gave it to Charlie, who put it away some place safe for when it would be needed. As for Petey he was flourishing at school and had made plenty of friends, although none of them would ever replace Max as his best, best friend. He now referred to Charlie as his dad and no one corrected him after the first time he came home from school with a painting he had done of his family. There was Bella, Charlie, Max and Petey himself all drawn in a line holding hands, and best of all they were all smiling under a clear blue sky with a bright yellow sun glowing above.

* * *

Bella pulled up outside the Black's house. She was meeting up with Jacob. He had been very mysterious on the phone when he called. He told her he had something important to tell her, but he wanted to do it face to face. He had sounded so serious on the phone that Bella was worried about what it was he intended to reveal. He was waiting on the front porch for her. As soon as she shouted a greeting to Billy, Jacob caught her hand in his and led her away from the house. He didn't speak and every moment that went by increased the tension. Bella had fallen into her old habit of nervously biting her lip as she waited for him to say something, anything.

Finally she couldn't stand it any longer. "Do you want to break up with me?" She blurted out.

Jacob's face was aghast as he stared at her and shook his head. "Oh my god, no way, no, no way, although you might want to break up with me after you hear what I've got to say." His expression turned heartbreakingly sad and it hurt Bella to see her sunny Jacob look so downcast. Now that he had confirmed he wasn't ending things she relaxed.

"Jake, I would never want to lose you. Just talk to me." She begged.

"I've wanted to tell you forever, but the time was never right, and I didn't want to shove more on you when you were already coping with so much. But I don't want to hide anymore; I want you to know everything about me, everything…" Jacob hesitated as he looked at her pleadingly.

Bella looked back at him as she tried to think what had him so worried, and then suddenly she knew. She burst out laughing as he shot her a bewildered glance. "Is this about the wolf thing?"

"YOU KNOW? HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW?" Jacob's mouth fell open in shock. He couldn't believe it.

"Billy told me over a year and a half ago when we first began to date. He said you couldn't tell me as you were bound by tribal laws but he wasn't. He said it was only fair that I knew everything before I committed myself." Bella smiled at him as comprehension set in. "We decided not to tell you about it as we didn't want you to worry about me knowing."

"I don't believe it. I just don't know whether to be pissed at the old man or damn grateful." Jacob couldn't stop the relieved grin crossing his face. "So you're really okay with the whole wolf thing?"

"I have my own personal sun as a protector." Bella's face turned serious as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. "You are my saviour Jacob Ephraim Black, and I'll love you forever. The spirits were smiling down on me the day you came into my life."

"Ditto, honey." Jacob wiped the tears that had begun to flow down Bella's cheeks. "Ditto."

 _ **The End….**_

 _ **A/N-thank you for following this sad story, I really appreciate you coming on the journey with me, hugs. Nikki**_


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